The Little Mermaid Fish out of Water
by Nevermore Marni
Summary: Eric has problems. Between home and school his life is hell, but what happens when Ariel comes into his life? An epic high school battle betwixt good and evil inside, but who is the bad guy really? The world of faeries entwined in this childhood tale gone awry.Some Suggestive or descriptive plot points, possible yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

He was tired, his eyes had given up on ever being open again. His fingers were blistered and sore, it had been an all night work session again. He hadn't eaten since he left his mother's house on Sunday and this long weekend was killing him.

_Tomorrow you can eat._ He thought to himself silently. He always looked forward to school days, he got two free meals and he got to talk to his friends all day, maybe even pick up some new books from the library. It was six o'clock in the morning, if he went to sleep now he could have 30 minutes of sleep before he had to get up to shower.

It was a bit difficult to get to sleep with his stomach growling and his drunken father singing Adele songs at the top of his longs, but somehow he managed.

He woke 30 minutes later almost as tired as he was when he fell asleep, he struggled to get out of bed as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Eric! Get me a beer!" His father yelled

Eric slowly rose from his bed, he walked to the refrigerator and picked up a can, opened it and handed it to his father who was still laying in the same pool of vomit he left him in last night.

"I'll clean up when I get home Dad, I have to get ready school now." He said, handing his father a pillow. "I'll be in the shower, call me if you need me."

With that Eric walked back into his room and picked up his chosen outfit he had laid out the night before. He grabbed a towel, his shampoo and deodorant and he walked into the hall bathroom.

He turned on the hot water and stripped down. He looked at his cell phone, he had 20 minutes left to shower, get dressed, fix his hair and do his eyeliner the way he liked it. It shouldn't have been a problem, but he was still so tired.

The water wasn't warming up, but he didn't really have time to mess with the water heater at that time. So he just manned up and jumped into the cold water. He frantically scrubbed his hair and face as the cold water beat down on his back. He quickly scrubbed the rest of himself down, shut off the water and toweled himself off. He was glad to be out of the cold water and into his warm clothes.

He quickly dried his dark hair and sprayed on his deodorant and drew on thick black lines on his eyelids. He tried to do something with his wet hair, but there wasn't much to do with it since he didn't get his shower the night before like usual.

He could hear a knock at the door.

"Eric! Come on man we're going to be late!" A boy called

Eric put his towel in the hamper and answered the door.

"Give me a second, I have to get my shit." He told the tall blonde.

Eric walked back into the house and grabbed his book bag from his room.

"Bye Dad, be home after school."

"Take that shit off your eyes you look like a queer!" His father shouted after him as he walked out the door.

He walked out to the front of his house and sighed as he sat in the front seat of his friends car.

"Whats wrong man?" The other boy said as he started the car.

"Just tired." Eric said quietly

"Another all nighter?" He asked

"As always."

"That sucks man, you know you can come crash at my house if your dad ever get to be too much."

"Thanks Darrel, but you know I can't just leave him."

"The options always there." Darrel smiled "Did you do the algebra?"

"Yeah you can copy it while I'm eating breakfast."

"Thanks, did you hear about the new girl?"

"There's a new girl?" Eric looked surprised because the small ocean side town barely ever had any new visitors so when there was one everyone knew about it.

"Yeah, I heard she was hot too." Darrel smirked "Red head."

Eric shook his dark hair and tried to do something with the wet strands.

"And who told you all this, Steve or Amber?" Eric rolled his eyes unimpressed with these people, already judging the new girl and they didn't even know her name yet.

"Steve, Amber's 99.9% sure that the red came straight out of a bottle." Darrel said as he pulled into the school.

"She's such a jealous hack." Eric said shaking out his hair again.

"Stop worrying about your hair, you look fine, geeze. Who do you have to impress?"

"Eh, who knows? Maybe the new girl can change my mind about girls." Eric smiled

"I hope so, I'm still kind of freaked that you've slept in my bed."

"I'm gay not a pedophile."

"I know, I'm just saying-Well you know."

"Yeah, yeah." Eric said as they walked into the school cafeteria.

"I'm going to get breakfast, here's the algebra." Eric said as he handed Darrel his notebook.

"Okay, if I see the new girl I'll be sure to call her over." Darrel laughed

"I bet you will." Eric laughed as he walked over to the breakfast line. He selected a doughnut and some milk and walked back to his table from where they could see a young red headed girl sitting alone reading a boo at a table across from them.

"I thought you were going to call her over Dare." Eric teased

"You know I'm no good with girls."

"You're such a pussy. She's probably scared to death." Eric said as he finished his breakfast and downed his milk. "I'll be back." He said as he stood up and walked over to the table the girl was sitting at. He looked at her, she looked different than all the other girls.

"Hey, I'm Eric." He held his hand out to her. She lifted her head and smiled, she had dimples over her freckled cheeks and sea green eyes.

"Ariel." She said softly as she took his hand and shook gently. "Its my first day."

"Oh I know," He laughed "Everyone knows everything about everyone here."

"So what have you heard about me?" She blushed

"Not much so far, but give it a week." He smiled "If you want you can tag along with me, I can show you around and introduce you to some cool people."

"I would like that." She smiled softly, the bell ran loudly

"Well then follow me little lady, the adventure begins." He made a corny bowing gesture and motioned her to the hallway. "Did they give you a schedule?"

Ariel nodded and handed him a slip of paper folded into a square. Eric unfolded it and smiled when he realized that they had not only homeroom together, but also their lunch period, English and math classes together.

"It looks like you're coming with me to homeroom." He smiled offering her his arm

"Why thank you." She giggled as she took his arm

"This way my lady." He smiled as he led her down the hallway to Mrs. Downing's classroom.

When they got there Eric introduced Ariel to Mrs. Downing and informed her that he had been Ariel's tour guide.

"Eric you be nice to Ariel," She teased "Don't scare her off, she's new."

"I'm a real lady killer." He joked nudging Ariel showing her to an empty desk.

"Oh I can tell. Everyone is staring." Ariel smiled, her eyes bouncing around the room.

Eric stopped to look around the room, sure enough everyone was gawking.

"That's probably not at me," He tried to put on a light face to cover his worried expression. "They are either looking to see the new girl, or gawking at who the new girl is talking to."

Ariel looked puzzled, she was going to say something until a large boy came over and stood next to the desk she was sitting at.

"Gee girl, you're pretty. You ain't got to talk to the faggot." He said with a hillbilly twang.

Ariel didn't look impressed, but she did look back at Eric who's face had turned a shade similar to her hair.

"You're gay?" She asked

"Yeah," He groaned "I didn't think it mattered since you'd probably find new friends-"

"That explains why you haven't hit on me yet like this kind, erm-" She paused thinking of the correct word "Gentleman?"

"That would be the reason exactly." Eric laughed "Although, you are one of the prettier girls in the school-"

"What would you know about pretty girls, faggot?" the hillbilly snapped

Ariel stood up, her green skirt shimmered in the light.

"Lookie here buddy, Eric is my friend and you are going to leave him alone." She said jabbing him in the chest.

"Or what little missy?" He said slapping her finger away from him.

"Or else you'll have to deal with me." Ariel snapped

"Oh look here boys!" The hillbilly said to his friends "We got us a fire cracker!"

"Shut up Steve," Eric said grabbing Ariel's arm "she's a girl, and she's new." He said pulling Ariel behind his back.

"But you're not." The boy smirked pushing Eric back a few feet.

"I'm not playing this game today." Eric breathed

"You don't have a choice faggot." The hillbilly threw a fist at Eric.

Eric reacted in a split second, catching his fist in midair.

"I haven't gotten enough sleep to deal with your nonsense today. Please, just leave us both alone." Eric said calmly

Steve took his hand back from Eric as he snarled some obscenity.

"Don't touch me queer." Steve said as he walked back to his seat.

Eric looked at Ariel, who was obviously impressed with him.

"Wow. Do you do this often?" Ariel giggled

"Every day of my life." He smiled, cracking his knuckles.

"Why didn't you lay that jerk out?" She observed his obvious muscles

"I'm a pacifist." He laughed "Doesn't make too much sense on my end, does it?"

Ariel laughed, her white teeth looked almost translucent in her mouth.

"Do you want to get some ice cream with me after school?" Ariel asked

Eric laughed, trying again to fix his wet hair.

"You want to make it a date?" He smiled

"Oh definitely." Ariel giggled as the bell rang

"Great, I can get my friend Darrel to drive. Shall I escort you to English m'lady?"

"It would be my honor." She took his hand and they were off to their first period class.

* * *

Well this is the new story since I finished Alice.

I hope you all liked it and such, please leave reviews and tell me what you think.

Updates will be given at regular intervals if I think someone is reading it.

Thanks for reading, As always much love from

Marni.


	2. Chapter 2

Firstly I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and such, I really really appreciate it.

You are the reason I keep writing.

* * *

It all seemed like a dream, an amazing, beautiful dream. Eric laid his head on his pillow, breathing deeply.

Eric removed his shirt and pulled up the blankets to his chin.

The day was beautiful, he and Ariel had sat on the beach under the setting sun while Darrel and Amber fought about their relationship issues by the ice cream shop. Ariel was something Eric had never seen in a girl before, she was funny, sweet and affectionate without even getting close to him. Her laugh echoed in his mind over and over. He had never felt this way about anyone.

Just as Eric was falling asleep he heard the phone ring, followed by his father's drunken rage.

"Get the phone Boy!" He screamed.

Eric groaned softly as he walked out to the living room and picked up his 90s style cord phone.

"Hello?" He said tiredly

"Eric!" A feminine voice said frantically

"What Aggie?" Aggie was Amber's twin sister. The younger twin sister, and Amber would never let her forget it.

"You met the new girl?" She spewed

"Yeah, she's really cool. She likes banana ice cream like me." He said rubbing his tired eyes, smearing his already smudged eyeliner.

"Oh." She calmed down a bit. "You didn't go swimming or anything, right?"

"No?" He questioned, Aggie was always a strange girl. She was always reading these books that were old and printed in a language no one understood. But she was outcasted like he was, so they were pretty good friends. "What does it matter?"

"It doesn't, as long as you don't get in the water with her." Aggie said in her wispy voice

Eric rolled his eyes.

"Whatever Aggie, I'm going back to sleep."

"Okay Eric, sorry to wake you, I was just worried. Night night." She bubbled

"Night Aggie, pleasant dreams."

Eric hung up the phone and walked past his father who was drunk and babbling on the couch.

"Why you got that shit on your face boy?" His father roared

"I'm going back to be Dad."

"No, you're going right back to the goddamn bathroom and wiping that shit off ya' faggot!" His father snapped getting up from his seat on the couch, an empty beer can clutched in his hand.

"Whatever." Eric groaned as he tried to walk back to his room

"Where the fuck are ya' goin' boy?" His father grabbed him by the back of his bare neck. "Get in the bathroom and get that shit off yer' face!"

"Okay Dad, lay off." He said trying his best to remove his father's hand from his neck.

"Are you back sassin' me boy?" He slurred

"No, I just-" He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence, his father was on top of him. Years of drinking and not moving off the couch had given his father a significant weight advantage over Eric, even though Eric did his best to work out and be strong, he struggled to push him off. His chest collapsing under the intense weight.

"You know what happens' when little girls don't listen to the men!" The drunkard snapped as he threw a fist into Eric's face, his teeth cut his cheek and splattered blood on the floor as his face snapped to the side.

"Get off!" Eric groaned as he tried again to push his father off him to no avail.

"Make me get off of ya' boy." He said as he sailed another fist into his eye that quickly swelled and turned an awful shade of purple.

Eric's head rattled from the last hit, his vision blurred and his muscles tensed. His body shook as his father continued to lay punches into his face and sides. His skin grew pink and bruised as he continued to take the beating. He tried to curl his body up under his father's weight, he raised his arms to try to deflect the blows from his face. He knew if he could just try to keep the injuries he had already gotten and not get anymore to his face he could take the swelling down with ice and put some concealer over the bruising.

"Stop squirming and take it like a man!" Eric heard in his ringing ears. Suddenly the weight lifted from his chest, he could breath again. Sweet oxygen flooded his lungs as his father pulled him to his feet by his dark hair and pushed him into the bathroom, Eric dripping blood all the way behind him.

Eric barely new he was walking, he could hear the water running but he couldn't figure out why. His head pulsed and fuzzed, his ears rang loudly and he could feel the blood running from his lips. He could see the bathtub filling with water as his father forced him to his knees, but he didn't quite understand what was happening yet. His eyes were too distracted by the swirling wonders his blood made when it dropped into the quickly filling bath tub.

Eric could hear his father speaking, but he couldn't make out the words. His father grabbed his hair and thrust his head into the full bath tub. Eric realized too late what was going on, he took large gulps of the cold water as he struggled for air. The bathtub grew red with his blood and his eyeliner dripped from his face into the watery mess. He forced himself out of the water.

"Please stop." Eric breathed, cold water dripping down his face onto his pained chest. "Please."

"Clean up this mess boy, and then get yer ass to bed." His father grumbled as he stood and stumbled out of the bath room, leaving Eric to curl up on in a puddle of watered down blood on the cold tile floor. His head was fuzzy and his thoughts were jumbled, he did his best to mop up the water with a dirty towel and drain the bath tub. He tried his best to get to his feet, but he only managed to crawl back into his room. Pain throbbed through his chest with every breath he took, his face still dripped droplets of water and blood as he dabbed his face dry with a dirty t-shirt and pulled his blanket from the top of the bed and closed his tired eyes.

When he awoke the sun was just rising, a knock on the door rang through his ringing ears.

"Get up ya faggot! There's someone here for you!." His father said as he opened the door to Ariel standing on the front stoop, his father pointed her to Eric's room and she walked in to see him still laying on the floor, dried blood on his face.

"Eric," She said as she ran her fingers through his damp hair "You were bleeding..And wet"

Eric opened his blurry eyes to see Ariel leaning over him.

"What are you doing here?" He murmured

"I had a dream about you last night, and I thought you might need me." She said rubbing a large bump on his head

"You shouldn't have come," He groaned "I hate being seen like this."

"I won't tell anyone." She said as a figure appeared at the door.

"She come to help you with your make up faggot?" His father laughed

Ariel looked up and gave a strange smile as she helped Eric sit up.

"We better get you cleaned up sweetheart." She said kissing his cheek. "If we're late we won't get to uh-" She paused powerfully as her face grew a shade of scarlet, "never mind, lets just get you cleaned up."

His father turned his head, his face had also turned a shade of red.

"You didn't tell me you had a lady friend." His father said quietly

"You didn't ask." Eric said taking a clean shirt from a pile in the corner.

"Well then I'll just leave you kids alone then." He smiled nudging his son and smiling broadly and closing the door behind him.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room until Eric spoke.

"You didn't have to do that."

Ariel smiled softly as she moved the pieces of his damp hair into the style he liked.

"I know," she said handing him his eye liner, some cover up and a pocket mirror in a shelled case. "But that's what friends do, isn't it?"

Eric smiled brightly as he began covering his cuts and bruises.

"You're a good friend." He said as he rubbed on his eye liner under his eyes. "You know what he think's were doing in here don't you?"

"Yep." She smiled as she refreshed her pink lipstick and tussling her hair into an uncombed mess. "Hold still."

Ariel began kissing Eric's neck softly, leaving traces of make up on the collar of his shirt and on his skin.

Eric felt strange, his face was flushed as she touched his soft skin. He could feel the heat of her breath on his neck, and he let out a soft moan.

"Well that's different." He breathed

Ariel stopped and gave him a look that he couldn't quite place.

"We better get to school, I don't want you missing breakfast." Ariel said helping him to his feet.

Eric laughed "You get all this from that dream?"

"More than you think." Ariel smiled closing her eyes so Eric could change his pants "Hurry up pretty boy." She pestered sweetly "We're going to be late."

"I'm coming, hold your horses." He said zipping his pants and smiling, taking advantage of Ariel's closed eyes to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder encouraging her to let out a loud laugh. He smiled as he tossed her gingerly on his bed.

"What are you doing?" She giggled, her hands rested on his shoulders as he crawled into bed next to her.

"We've only been in here for like nine minutes." He teased "I'm fake rocking your world in here."

"I'm so sure," She laughed "the best I've ever had."

"Pshh, you aren't my type anyway." He siggered

"Yeah, because I don't have a penis." She giggled.

"That's okay, you can borrow mine."

The pair laughed quietly as the bantered back and forth. Ten minutes had passed when there was a knock at the door.

"Uh, Eric I hate to break this up, I mean I really hate to break this up, but Darrel's been sitting on the couch for the last five minutes waiting to pick you up." His father called through the locked door.

"Yeah, one sec lemme' just finish up in here." Eric called sitting up and looking at Ariel. "Did you have a good time?" He joked

"Best I've ever had." She smiled as she sat up next to him.

Eric laughed as he put on his shoes and grabbed his books.

"We better get going." he smiled as he turned the door knob.

Ariel smiled as she put his arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, before you miss breakfast." She giggled as his stomach growled loudly.

As they entered the living room Darrel's face looked shocked.

"Sorry man, you know how girls are." Eric winked convincingly as his father snorted "That's my boy" from the couch.

"Yeah." Darrel said with a grin. "Get in the car kids, we gotta go."

"Eric, wait up I want to talk to you." His father said as Darrel started to the door.

"Okay Dad." He kissed Ariel's forehead and smiled "Meet you in the car babe."

"Don't be too long." Ariel blushed wildly.

Ariel and Darrel left the house and Eric was prepared for the worst.

"Why didn't you tell me? I was sure you were one a' them queers with all that make up."

"That's just what guys do now Dad, its like the 80s. Chicks dig it." He said looking out the window and waving at Ariel.

"You should have told me that boy! You know I've been out of the game since your mother-"

"Yeah sorry, anything else I'm going to be late."

"Sorry boy, I'm just so proud." He gushed as he handed Eric a cigarette. "Bring her over anytime."

Eric looked at the white stick and grinned the beating had almost been worth it, he hadn't had a cigarette since Darrel stopped buying them for him, some rot about them being horrible for him.

"Thanks Dad" He smiled as he lit it on the stove and inhaled deeply. "Gotta go."

Eric walked out the door and into the front seat of Darrel's car.

"Damn it Eric!" Darrel snapped "Put that thing out."

"Nope. Padre's all proud he thinks I'm tapping Ariel." Eric laughed

"I know, I was clued in by the little mermaid back there." Darrel said sarcastically. "Now get in the back we have to pick up Aggie and Amber."

Ariel laughed with Eric, trying to hide her uncomfortable face.

"No one wants to fake kiss an ash tray Eric." She chimed.

Eric twisted the cigarette between his fingers, savoring every second of the bliss he was in.

"I only smoke once in a while, can't you just fake suck it up?" Eric teased.

"Not if you want to fake rock my world again." Ariel laughed as Eric climbed in back to make room for Amber.

"Last one babe." He laughed

"Promise?" She smiled, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Promise."

Eric blew sweet smoke out the window and enjoyed the last of his addiction.

"Thank you." Ariel smiled as he flipped the butt out the window.

"Thank you." He said gesturing to his broken face.

"Don't mention it." She said fixing his hair just the way he liked it.

* * *

Well here is chapter two, it took me a second to write it because I was so uninspired with this idea.

But with the help of my wonderful reviewers I revived my interest in this story.

Thank you all so much.

As always I appreciate you're input and would love to hear from all of you.

Much love,

Marni.

PS: Still looking for an editor, so I apologize for all my awful mistakes. I did my very best.

Thank you 3


	3. Chapter 3

It was eighth period and Eric had fallen asleep in a puddle of drool on his desk. His face throbbed painfully, but the bump on the back of his head felt like it had disappeared.

"Eric." Mr. Fox called, there was no response. "Eric, wake up."

Eric lifted his tired head to see his algebra teacher standing over him tapping his foot impatiently.

"Would you like to join us in the land of the living?" The teacher scolded

"Sorry sir, I had a late night." Eric said rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Well stop staying up all night playing video games or whatever you kids do now. Your 'late night' probably had nothing to do with the lipstick stains on your collar." The entire class giggled.

Eric didn't bother trying to explain, he knew it would only end badly for him if he tried.

"Yes sir, I'll try to limit my erm- video games to before nine o'clock."

"Now," He said approaching the board. "Would you like to attempt the problems you missed during your nap?"

Eric smiled, he knew he could handle any math problem that Mr. Fox would throw at him.

"Sure." He smirked as he picked up a blue marker from the board. He whisked through the problem with ease and sat back down at his desk.

"Very impressive." Mr. Fox said sarcastically.

Ariel smiled at him from across the room.

"How did you do that?" She mouthed

"I'll teach you." He lipped in reply.

Mr. Fox continued the lecture, lulling Eric back into his slumber on his desk. Eventually when the final bell rang he was still asleep on his desk. The class proceeded to stampede out of the room as Ariel collected her things and walked over to Eric's desk and stroked his hair gently.

"Eric," She whispered "The bell rang its time to go."

Eric groaned softly.

"Come on, Darrel is going to leave without us." She lowered her mouth to his ear.

"Alright." He sighed as he sat up and stretched. "I tutor Aggie on Tuesdays if you want to tag along. I can show you how to do the math."

"That would be nice." Ariel smiled and helped Eric to his feet, he was still a little dizzy from last nights beating. but Ariel proved to be stronger than she looked, she had caught Eric twice today, bearing his whole body weight and helping him to look like they were just being flirtatious.

"We usually do out studying at her place, but if you would be more comfortable we can find somewhere else." Eric looked sympathetic, Ariel had only met Aggie once and Aggie had pulled out a whole new level of weird when they met. Aggie kept asking the weirdest questions and implying that she was some kind of evil temptress. Eric suspected Aggie was just being a bit jealous, Eric was one of her only friends after all.

"I would really rather not be in her house if you don't mind. She's a bit..." Ariel searched for a polite word but she couldn't think of one, so she just gave Eric an odd look.

"Aggie is a bit different." Eric laughed as they walked through the main hallway and down into the parking lot where Darrel was waiting for them. He was bickering with his long time girlfriend Amber, as always; and Aggie was sitting in the back seat reading one of those weird books she liked, her mousy brown hair tucked behind her ears and her brown eye looked bright compared to the dull shade of grey of her other. Eric smiled at Ariel and slid in the middle between where Aggie was sitting and where Ariel sat.

"Hey Aggs, Ariel's gonna join us today."

"Math problems?" Aggie said absent mindedly.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Eric questioned.

"Her kind don't have a concept of numbers, they just have what they need when they need it." She said, not looking up from her book.

Ariel's face was flushed, she gave Eric an uncomfortable look and shook her head as if asking him not to ask any more questions. Eric got the message, but he still wondered what Aggie meant by "her kind". Was she calling Ariel a whore? Because that was really untrue. The lipstick stains on his collar was just a cover and today in the hallway she was just holding him up because of his dizzy spells.

"Thanks again for that whole thing with my dad Ariel." He said, trying to defuse the tension between the three of them.

"Don't worry about it, if he think's your dating me he won't be so hard on you." Ariel smiled

"You know Eric, I would have fake dated you." Aggie snapped

"Yeah, but you didn't just show up at my house and flirt with me in front of my dad."

"You didn't ask me too!"

"I didn't ask her to either." Eric said softly

"Well she obviously knows more than she lets on."

Eric was quite finished with this conversation. He was quite sure Aggie was just being jealous and Ariel shouldn't have had to suffer for it.

"I thought maybe we could study at the beach today." Eric said rubbing his tired eyes.

"Actually," Aggie tried to calm herself "I'd much rather stay away from the water, I'm feeling a bit sick. Maybe we could study at the park instead?"

"I don't see why not," Eric was just happy for the compromise. "And objections Ariel?"

"Nope." Ariel gave him a relieved smile.

Meanwhile in the front seat Amber and Darrel were still bickering back and forth about everything under the sun. Eric's head was spinning again and his head felt light and fuzzy.

"Hey guys could you like, stop yelling. I have a killer head ache." Eric groaned

"Shut up Eric!" Amber snapped "No one cares about your head issues."

"What the hell Amber? You can't just talk to my friends like they're trash!" Darrel glared as he turned the car and drove into the park parking lot.

"He IS trash Darrel! He's probably checking you out right now!"

"Oh please, Eric has been my friend since grade school you can't just expect me to shun him because he's out of the closet!"

"Okay well if you need us, we'll be at the picnic table by the swings." Aggie said as she exited the car. Eric followed and Ariel close behind him. When they made it to the table Ariel sat next to Eric who was already pulling out his notebook and the turning to the correct page in the text book.

"So the basic this with Algebra is what you do to one side, you must also do to the other, simplify the problem, you know?" He said directing most of his attention to Ariel who needed the most help.

"Sounds logical." Ariel smiled

"Yeah because you do best at logic." Aggie snorted

Eric and Ariel pretended not to hear her, though Ariel's face was an uncomfortable shade of red.

"Aggie, why don't you get your history out." Eric noticed that Amber and Darrel had gotten out of the car and Amber had began smacking Darrel around the park. "I'll be right back." Eric stood up and jogged over to where his friend was being brutalized.

Eric could be heard in the distance trying to get Amber off Darrel. Yelling "come on you guys!"

It was silent for a few moments before Aggie looked up.

"I know what you are you know."

Ariel tried her best to look confused.

"Oh don't pull that innocent face with me, I know your kind. I've been watching for one of you monsters to show up since I was three." She pointed to her grey eye. "I can see right through your glamour. You are too perfect, you fae don't understand human flaws."

"I d-don't know what you mean." Ariel tried to steady her voice.

"You know very well what I mean." Aggie breathed

Ariel looked up in worry and her face was flushed of all color.

"Look, I'm only here to learn." She said in a panic.

"Learn about what? If teenagers taste any better than sailors?"

"I find that extremely offensive, I'm a vegetarian." Ariel didn't add that it was much more likely for mermaids to use a human as a servant or even a lover.

"Ha!" Aggie laughed "Is that before or after you use your evil mermaid powers to make Eric fall in love with you and follow you in to the sea for lunch?"

"I didn't mean to make Eric have feelings for me! It just happens." Ariel snapped

"Whatever." Aggie grumbled, trying to deny Ariel's obvious honesty. "But I swear, if you hurt Eric, or Darrel or even my twit sister I will make sure I nail nine iron spikes right into your heart before the day I die!"

"I'm honestly just here to learn, if i had wanted to eat Eric, why haven't I done it yet?" Ariel asked quietly.

"Learn about what?"

"Everything. The human world is so much less..." Ariel stopped again to search for a word

"Evil? Maniacal? Inhumane? Monstrous?"

Ariel blushed. "Yes, all of that."

"Well I can't blame you. What court did you belong to?"

"Bright court."

Aggie looked amazed.

"You escaped the Bright court?" Aggie knew that prior to popular belief that the seely court was just as bad if not worse than Night court. While the Night court ran children off cliffs and kidnapped children for revenge, the Bright court kept the humans as servants and used them to build their army.

"I'm not the same as they are, I would have been destroyed eventually." Ariel looked depressed.

"I understand." Aggie said quietly "Wear this," Aggie said as she pulled a hemp bracelet from her bag. "I was going to slip it on you and enchant it to your wrist, but now that I know you aren't going anywhere quickly."

Ariel looked it over before asking what it was for.

"Its so you can't use your crazy mermaid fae power to make people fall in love with you." Aggie said tying it to her wrist. "You aren't doing one of those little 'I'm a faerie, and I can't lie to you but I can twist the truth' things are you?"

Ariel was quite impressed with Aggie's knowledge of her kind.

"No, I am in no way twisting the truth." Ariel pledged

"Do you have feelings for Eric?" Aggie stared her in the eyes

"I didn't leave those stains on his collar for no reason."

"That isn't a straight answer." Aggie snapped as Eric rejoined them

"Be nice Aggie, she scares easy." He laughed

"Did you get them settled down?" Aggie asked

"Yeah, Darrel is taking a walk and Amber is on the phone with her mom."

Ariel smiled, but she managed to send a desperate look to Aggie.

_Please don't tell Eric _She begged internally. Aggie seemed to get the message and sighed.

"I like the bracelet Ariel, super cute." Eric smiled as he did his best to explain the math to her.

* * *

Another chapter down.

Again I really appreciate the reviews, I try to update when I see a new review.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it was mostly Ariel and Aggie bickering. The next one will have more action, promise.

Actually I'm all inspired so I'm going to go write it now.

So I'll have that posted when I see fit.

Thank you all so much!

Much Love,

Marni.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you again to all my readers and reviewers.**

**You inspire me to think outside of the normal reaches of my mind. **

**This chapter contains suggestive content. If you don't like it then you may message me for a summery.**

**It may or may not contain some Yaoi from here on out.**

* * *

After a long study session Aggie, Ariel and Eric walked back to the car where Darrel and Amber were not speaking. No one asked questions because frankly, no one wanted to know. The sun was setting and Aggie and Amber had just been dropped off. Before getting out Aggie gave Ariel a good stare down that Eric didn't understand but Ariel understood all too clearly.

_I swear, if you hurt Eric, or Darrel or even my twit sister I will make sure I nail nine iron spikes right into your heart before the day I die_

"So Eric," Ariel smiled brightly. "Do you want to hang out after this?"

Darrel raised an eyebrow and winked at Eric in the rear view mirror as to say "Dude, its a girl." In that flirty voice he used.

Eric looked surprised, but he was happy. He hoped Ariel wanted to spend more time with him. Ariel gave him a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach, a feeling girls never gave him.

"Absolutely. Are we going to hang out at your place?"

"No, I thought we could hang out at yours."

"You don't mind, you know, everything sucking so bad there?" Eric smirked

"Not at all, I like the privacy."

"Well, my Dad seemed to like you."

"That's because he thinks you're nailing me." Ariel giggled.

"Maybe you should handle that Ariel, you know, you don't want to lie to Eric's Dad." Darrel smiled as they pulled up to Eric's house.

"I couldn't lie to Eric's father." Ariel smiled "I just won't tell him the truth."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Darrel laughed

"Not at all." Ariel bubbled following Eric out of the car.

Eric took her hand as they entered the house. His heart beat loudly, he couldn't help but squeeze her soft palm.

"Dad! I'm home. Ariel's here were going to my room." Eric yelled through the house.

"O-kay, if you want privacy just put a sock on the door an' I won't bug ya'" His father gushed happily.

Ariel giggled softly as they walked into the room and Eric put a sock on the door knob.

"Gee, its a good thing we aren't actually doing anything." Eric laughed. "You would be so freaking pregnant. So much for adult supervision."

"Right?" Ariel laughed plopping down on his bed. "If you wanted to you could have me completely naked right now."

Eric's face grew red and he swallowed hard.

"Yep." He said sitting down next to her. "So, how was your day?"

"Oh it was decent," She said as she took off her sweater and tossed it on the floor. "I learned a whole lot from our studying. Aggie was actually very nice once we were clear on my intentions."

Eric looked at where she had thrown her sweater on the floor, he looked over at Ariel. Her pale skin almost called his name.

"That's good." He said softly as he slowly inched closer to her.

"Yeah, I'm really learning a lot." Ariel smiled sweetly as she pulled up her hair into a pony tail, missing a small patch of hair. "Do you think my hair looks funny like this?" she said running her fingers down her pale neck and crossing her arms over her chest.

"It l-looks nice." Eric sputtered nervously. "You missed some, here let me." He said as he reached over and tucked the loose piece of hair into her pony tail.

Ariel took advantage of his closeness and kissed his neck softly, her lip gloss felt slick and wet on his bare skin. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pulled herself onto his lap. She continued to gently kissing and nipping up his neck as she started to unbutton his shirt.

Eric let out soft moans and tried to convince himself that this wasn't happening, he didn't have some girl on his lap, Ariel had not just finished unbuttoning his shirt. She wasn't running her nails down his bare back and he didn't like it at all.

Ariel pressed her head into his neck and kissed hot trails down his body.

"Ariel, I-" Eric tried to force himself to think clearly. "I d-don't-" Ariel paused.

"You want me to stop?" She breathed

"No." Eric blurted "Absolutely not." He swallowed hard once again.

"Then whats wrong?" She tilted her head

"I have a boyfriend." He said lifting her back onto the bed. "I couldn't do this to him, its one thing to let you kiss me in front of my Dad, its another thing to close my door and let you do-" he paused and gestured to the bulge in his pants _"this_ to me."

"You know," Ariel teased "There is a simple solution to that."

Eric didn't look impressed.

"Ariel, I'd love to, which kind of freaks me out, but I can't. I love Darius." Eric sputtered

"Darius?" Ariel questioned innocently, like she had no idea.

"Yeah, I know I haven't been exactly honest about him, but you knew walking into all this. You knew I wasn't for you, or you know-"

"I knew you weren't into girls." She smiled "But I didn't really see you protesting more than a few minutes ago."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lead you on or imply something was going to happen that I couldn't-"

"Eric," Ariel laughed "Calm down. Its not that big of a deal. Yeah, you're cute but it doesn't mean that much to me. We can still be friends right?"

Eric breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes." Eric smiled. "Thank you for understanding."

"No problem Eric, but if you ever change your mind I'm here." She stood up.

"Thank you." He grinned standing to embrace her. "You would be my first choice in a girl."

"And who exactly would be your first choice in a boy?" A voice said from the open window.

Eric turned around and all the color drained from his face. A tall boy with piercing violet eyes stared back.

"_Darius._" Eric cried "This is_ not_ what it looks like."

"Please." Darius paused, his voice was cold. "Enlighten me."

"This is Ariel-"

"I know who she is." Darius state flatly smoothing his silver bangs.

Eric paused, he had never seen Darius like this. Ariel was pale and cold, her voice caught in her throat. She knew this boy.

"What is she doing here, with you, in your arms?" Darius eyed his half naked body.

"Its my fault." Ariel started, her voice sounded robotic and forced. "I was pretending to be his girlfriend so his father wouldn't be so hard on him and I guess I got attached."

"Unattach. Immediately." Darius spat. "Do the words sea foam mean anything to you?"

Ariel gulped. Eric looked confused, he hadn't known Ariel very long but she hadn't seemed the type to scare easily. He remembered her first day of school, how she stood up for him against a jock at least four times her size.

"Yes sir."

"Very good." Darius turned his attention back to Eric. "I miss you, I'm sorry I've been out so long, there was just a bit of trouble back home."

"Wait- You aren't mad at me?" Eric said in relief, finding himself drifting to the window where the taller boy stood.

"Of course not." Darius smiled "Its hard to blame you for the acts of a harlot" He said sweeping Eric's dark hair out of his eyes.

"Ariel can still be my friend?" Eric's voice shook.

Darius raised an eyebrow, he didn't quite understand why she meant so much to him.

"She's just done a lot for me these last few days." Eric looked down

Darius sighed, looking at his lovers' eyes. He placed his hand on Eric's' cheek and tilted his head slightly only to see the lipstick stains from where Ariel had held her lips.

"Leave us, Eric." Darius said coldly.

"But W-" Eric started

"Now."

Eric didn't hesitate a second time. He blinked slightly and walked out the door, leaving Darius staring at Ariel.

"Out of all the humans you pick mine." Darius said calmly.

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't know." She sputtered

Darius tried to breath deeply, he tried his best to keep a clear mind. He cracked each of his knuckles and tried not to over react. After all it was in her nature to lure humans into her grasps. But what example would it set for others if he let her live after this unfortunate incident?

"What is it you ask of me, little mermaid?"

"Let me live." She said quietly.

"Why? What have you for me? I have already helped you escape from your court, and you've made a mess for me already." Visions of the pink lipstick on Eric's neck flashed though his mind.

"I don't have anything for you." Ariel's muscles tensed. Darius laughed bitterly.

"I will spare you." Darius smirked, "But you are to follow these directions as I give them."

A single tear fell down Ariel's face starting an all out blubbering and crying fit. She was on her knees sobbing her thank yous into the floor when Darius snorted for her to have some pride and to stop sniveling.

"You aren't to touch Eric _ever _again, and you are to stop making him have feelings for you."

Arial sobbed again.

"I'm not making him do anything." She cried.

Darius looked strange, his looked dark and weary.

"You are to continue the act in front of his father, as to make his father more bearable." Darius paused "And you are not to tell him about me, I think I've scared him quite enough without adding the slaughter of your people." he said sourly

Ariel chucked slightly through her tears.

"What's so funny?"

"Does he make those sounds for you?" She asked boldly. "Does he kiss you like he kisses me?"

"Coincidentally," Darius laughed "Do you know what happens to the fae without the anti-iron drugs? They wither, and die a most painful death." He phased through the wall and into the room where Ariel stood, he cupped her chin in his fingers. "And we wouldn't want that would we? We couldn't ruin such a pretty face."

Ariel silenced herself, she didn't know what had come over her.

"One would think you'd be more grateful that I don't kill you where you stand, being as our families don't quite mix." He said looking her over.

"You do not get to call yourself part of that family anymore." She snapped, but not daring to back away. "You have betrayed them."

"It matters nothing to you. Will you live by my rules, or die for any of the little things you've done tonight?"

Ariel looked into Darius's eyes, it was true what the girls back home said. He was beautiful.

"What if we made a deal?" She smiled "I know how your family enjoys deals."

Darius tilted his head slightly, his eyes looked almost joyful through the cold icy stare he had been giving her.

"What sort of deal?"

Ariel breathed, he had taken the bait.

"If I can make Eric fall in love with me and kiss me again in the next two weeks while following your rules, then you let me live and you leave the both of us alone forever, and you can't kill me before the two weeks is up."

Darius smirked, it was laughable that Ariel thought Eric would pick her over him, the King of the Night Court. That Eric could lover her over the man he had been loving for the last few months, the one who kept him safe, and fed him when he had nothing.

"You have three days."

"One week."

"Four days."

"Six days and one night."

"Five days and you can live to see tomorrow." Darius smiled sweetly

Ariel knew she had pushed her limit.

"Deal." She held her hand out to shake.

Darius too her hand and smirked.

"But when the sun sets on the fifth day and I've won, I'm turning you into sea foam." He said coldly. "And I suggest you not use any powers, or I'll be forced to use mine." He smiled squeezing her hand tightly

"I won't have too. Incidentally, his friend Aggie knows all about me. This bracelet bars all my powers." She grinned.

Darius smirked sweetly.

"Then this will be quite a challenge then."

"If you say so." She smiled.

"Let the game begin. Call Eric." He said laying down on the bed and smiling slightly.

"Eric sweetheart, come here please." Ariel called sweetly.

Eric could be heard bolting though the living room and his father muttering about how whipped he was over his first love.

"What happened?" Eric said quickly

"Nothing love." Darius smiled staring at his ceiling. "Ariel was just leaving."

Eric looked at Ariel who was collecting her things.

"Are you okay?" He asked, grabbing her arm.

"I'm fine." She smiled brightly "See you at school tomorrow, I have to get home." She said as she walked out the door without saying good bye.

"Uh, Okay then." Eric said laying down next to Darius on his bed. "What happened?"

"Not a thing." Darius smiled as he wrapped his arms around his waist. "Eric?"

"Hmm?" He hummed as he buried his head in Darius's chest.

"Did you ever wonder if the evil sea witch loved the prince more than the little mermaid did?"

"No silly? Who thinks of those things."

* * *

Well... There it is.

If anyone reading this had read my other story Alice in the Attic, this is where they'd be going -gasp- if they payed attention.

Please review and such, you know, the usual nonsense.

Much love!

Marni.


	5. Chapter 5

It was dawn before Darius left Eric's bed, his left arm wrapped around Eric's torso and his right cradling is heavy head. Darius could see all the little bumps and bruises now, all the things Eric tried desperately to cover in make up. Darius kissed Eric's forehead gently and thought about how sick the bumps made him, it was completely shameful that something so beautiful was to be covered in concealer and even worse, the bruises. Darius's mind started to roam to the deal he had made with Ariel, he was sure that Ariel couldn't take Eric from him, but he wasn't sure about how childish it had been to bet on a loved one if only to entertain himself.

"Darius?" Eric murmured softly

"What is it darling?"

"Thank you for staying with me."

Darius pulled Eric's head from his chest and looked into his eyes, they were strange. Like they had been some kind of blue once, but they had faded and warped into an odd hazel color with flecks of browns, grays and golds.

"I loved staying with you." He smiled running his fingers up Eric's back in a rhythmic fashion.

"Why don't you stay more often?"

"You know I have work." Darius sighed.

Eric averted his eyes, Darius could tell he was feeling neglected. Darius tilted his partner's head up slightly and kissed him softly, he could feel where his lip had been split days before.

"Some day we'll have a place of our own right? We'll be a normal family?"

Darius smiled at the prospect of ever having a human life with Eric, the King of the Night court, living in a modest suburban home with a white picket fence a dog and maybe a few kids.

"Perhaps." Darius forced a smile and tried not to shutter at the alternative and Eric coming to live in the court with him. He would be in constant danger. He knew that he would never get a good nights sleep again if Eric was to come to the court, he would be to busy watching out, trying to be sure that no one was trying to hurt his lover.

"Perhaps?" Eric asked sullenly

"I cannot see into the future love, but being with you every night like this would make me more happy than you know." He said squeezing Eric closer to his chest.

"You want a life with me?"

"I want what is best for you." Darius said kissing his bruised forehead and sitting up. The birds were chirping happily and it was past the time for him to be on his way.

What was the alternative to going to the court? Staying here to be brutalized by his father? For the next week at least he could be safe from the beatings. At least here he would live, this place was nothing compared to the court.

"Are you leaving?"

"I must." He said as he stood up and straightened his clothes. "I love you."

Darius laid a gentle kiss on Eric's forehead.

"I love you too." Eric sighed "When will you be back?"

"Sooner than you think." Darius smiled again, kneeling to look Eric in the eyes. "Don't be upset, I promise I'll be back soon." He kissed Eric's hand softly.

"Alright." Eric put on a fake smile and tried his best not to be sad.

"See you soon." Darius said as he stood and crawled out the window, he blew Eric a good bye kiss and with that he was gone.

Eric lay back down in his bed before getting up to get ready for school. His body felt new and refreshed like it always did after Darius came to see him, his bruises looked less vicious and his aching muscles felt less like he had been beaten and almost drowned to death and more like he had taken a light run. Eric shuffled around his room and fixed his hair and outfit the way he liked it. He was regretting not telling Darius he had been starving, but breakfast was coming soon.

He absentmindedly walked out to where his father was sitting on the couch smoking a cigarette.

"That girl has you real tired huh boy?" He laughed "Stayed locked up in your room all night."

"I'm not used to all the needs." Eric said without thinking.

"Yeah women are like that son, smoke?" His father tossed him a pack of his favorite cigarettes and smiled.

"I can't, Ariel doesn't like it."

"That girl doesn't run your life boy! Crack the whip. Tell her to get back in the kitchen and make you a sammich." He laughed

"Right." Eric said putting the cigarettes in his pocket. "See you later, it looks like Ariel and Darrel are here." He said as he dismissed himself to the door.

Aggie and Amber were sitting in their normal places, Amber in the passenger seat and Ariel and Aggie split in the middle so Eric could sit between them. Eric smiled and jumped in the car where Darrel started to speak.

"Well Eric there will be no school today."

"Why?" Eric snapped

"We've decided that we're going some place else." Amber growled

"But we're going to miss school."

"Eric, calm down. You never miss school." Darrel soothed. "Amber and I need this time to talk and Ariel and Aggie won't go without you."

"So why not go alone?" Eric asked

"Do you want the truth?" Darrel looked at him in the rear view, a desperate look on his face.

Eric took a deep breath.

"Where are we going?" Eric smiled softly, understanding what the look had meant. He didn't want Amber to make a scene and not be able to stop her, Darrel was a strong guy but Amber was a fiery little Italian girl with more than enough rage to manipulate Darrel into doing something that he didn't want to do.

"There's a big park a few towns over, we're going to eat lunch there and then we can figure out the rest out after." Darrel smiled at his friend.

"Alright." Eric said resting his head on the back of the seat. The five of them drove for about an hour, the only people that were talking was Amber and Darrel. Ariel had been sleeping peacefully and Aggie had been reading a book and hadn't looked up since Eric got in the car.

Eric's stomach growled loudly as they pulled into the park, reminding him that he'd missed breakfast. He doubted they'd be eating until later so Eric woke Ariel and walked over to a picnic table across the yard where they say and bickered back and forth.

"Good morning." Ariel said brightly

"Morning, Ariel are you alright?" Eric asked, concerned with how quickly she left last night.

"I was going to ask you the same question" Ariel said her voice darkening

"What do you mean?"

"I know him from back home." Ariel said lowering her eyes "He's not a nice guy."

"Ariel don't be ridiculous." Eric laughed

"Maybe you should listen to her Eric." Aggie interjected

"You didn't even like Ariel yesterday." Eric snickered

"The enemy of your enemy is your friend I suppose." Aggie said strongly.

"So who is the enemy here?" Eric laughed

The table grew silent as a man approached from behind Eric. His short silver hair glistened in the noon sun and his eyes were locked on the table. He smiled as he came up behind Eric and placed his hands gently over his eyes.

"Guess who?" Darius teased.

A joyful feeling flooded Eric's covered features.

"Darius!" Eric smiled as he turned to see Darius's happy face.

"I've decided to take a vacation from work, you have me all to yourself for the next five days."

Ariel looked sick, her face was pale and her head started to spin. How was she supposed to get Eric to kiss her if Darius was around and they couldn't get a second alone?

"Really?" Eric said ecstatically.

"Really sweetheart." Darius smirked looking over at Ariel across the table. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

Eric nodded, his pale face was red and rosy with excitement when he noticed how awful Ariel looked.

"Ariel, are you alright?" He asked softly "You look like you're going to throw up."

Eric looked over at Aggie who was staring at Darius in a strange way, like she just couldn't place what was happening.

"I'm feeling a bit sick, I think-" At this moment Ariel started to get up and walk to the trash can but she was too late. She fell to her knees as the vomit passed her lips. She could smell the acid and feel the tears running down her cold face. Eric leaped over the table to hold back her long red hair. He rubbed her back gently and gave a sympathetic look to Darius.

When Ariel had finally finished, Eric helped her to her feet and looked at her vomit splattered clothes.

"I'm sorry sunshine," He started "I'll be right back, I'm going to take Ariel to the girls room to clean up."

"Take your time, I'll be here when you get back." Darius smiled brightly.

Eric slowly helped Ariel to the restroom as Darius say down to the table where Aggie was still giving him a strange look.

Aggie looked him over slightly. She could feel a dark aura coming off the smiling boy at the table.

"You must be Aggie." He said after a few minutes of silence.

"Eric has told you about me?" She assumed

"No." He smiled "We keep a very close eye on people with the sight."

He was talking about people who could see through faerie glamour, the glamour that made all the faeries appear human. Aggie mused to herself as she observed him, It wasn't hard to pick out a faerie. They were always perfect, without a flaw to be found. Their type didn't understand human flaws or even exactly how people dressed.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about." Aggie said flatly.

"I'm so sure." Darius smirked gesturing at Aggie's gray eye. "You can see us only out of that one if I'm not mistaken."

Aggie looked down at the table. It was true, out of her brown eye she saw how normal Darius seemed outside of his silver hair and violet eyes. Out of her gray eye she could see everything, his strangely pointed ears and his long canine teeth came slightly past his other teeth and came to a sharp point, his flawless white skin and the shimmering opaque blue tattoos on his cheek bones accented by his long silvery hair that flowed down his back. He was beautiful.

"Have you always looked like that?" Aggie murmured

"No." Darius admitted "I looked a great deal like my father once."

Aggie closed her normal eye to admire him once again.

"Has Ariel always had this fascination with Eric?" Darius smiled, Aggie could see how his eyes shimmered when he smiled through his glamour.

"I'm immune to your charms too, you can't charm me into giving you information." She spat opening her eye.

"It wasn't a charming thing, you asked me a question and I asked you one. Its a very fair game." Darius mused.

Aggie realized that this was a chance to get an equal chance at learning about the boy who had captured Eric's heart, the man who Ariel had warned her about this morning.

"She isn't fascinated with him, they are only friends." Aggie twisted the truth a bit, she didn't expect straight answers from Darius anyway.

"Oh?" Darius smirked "I thought-"

"My question. Tell me about where you come from, the courts I mean. The books I have aren't exactly that informative, its mostly about killing the fae." Her eyes twinkled as Darius raised an eyebrow.

"There are two main courts dearie, Affectionately called the Night and the Bright courts. The Bright court is for all fae deemed by humans to be good. Like the pixies, the mermaids, the beautiful part of our realm. The Night court is for the trolls, the goblins, the kelpies and the nasty little beasts like me who stalk the night and eat children for breakfast." He smiled sarcastically. "Of course there are folk that dislike their courts and flee to another, like Ariel and I. We both were born in the Bright court, in the era of its unity. We were the first generation under the united Bright court, The Kingdom Wonderland, my mother called it." He sneered

"So how-" Aggie started

"My turn sweetheart." He soothed. "What did Ariel tell you about me?"

"She told me that you weren't a guy anyone here wanted to mess with, that Eric would probably be better off with out you, safer that is. He would probably die if he stayed with you. Is that true?"

"Is that your question?" Darius reminded

"No." Ariel said quickly "Why do you look the way you do, if you didn't always look this way?"

"Well when I ran from my parent's kingdom-"

"Your parents were royalty?"

"That was not your question." Darius looked slightly annoyed.

"Sorry, I just get overly excited. Continue."

"When I ran from my parents kingdom in the Bright court where I looked like my father, I cam to the Night court where I developed the teeth and the claws to handle the violence in the court. The hair thing is kind of my rebellion against my father, he always hated my hair this long. He was so humanized by my mother." He divulged extra details, drawing Aggie deeper into his trap. "The night court resides much closer to the city and as you have probably assumed from your books the folk are highly allergic to iron. The drug we use to counter act the effects makes my skin this color, which I'm actually quite fond of." He finished

Aggie nodded trying to formulate her next question.

"Does Eric have feelings for her at all?" Darius asked, purposefully averting his gaze and looking away from Aggie.

"I don't think so-" Aggie comforted "I mean, probably a little because of the whole mermaid luring him in and clouding his mind, but no. She's way more into him than he is to her."

"Thanks." Darius said pathetically.

"How do you know Ariel?" Aggie continued.

"She and I went to school together, her mother was my mother's friend when they were young. Even though they were on opposing sides during the revolution when Ariel's mother was forced into the Night court, she was welcomed home when everything had settled down. So when she came home Ariel and I were often together, when I ran away and became a part of the Night court she slowly started to hate the hypocrisy of our court just as I had."

"Do you think she's trying to like- kiss him in there?" Darius regained his pathetic demeanor.

"I hope not, she just threw up." Aggie laughed, forgetting how tricky Darius's kind could be. "You sure are worried about Eric liking her."

"I just couldn't bare to lose him." Darius rested his head in his palms.

"Do you love Eric?"

"More than anything in the world." Darius smiled. "Do _you_?" He chuckled

Aggie's face broke out in a scarlet flush.

"No!" She blubbered "That is ridiculous!"

"Oh?" He smirked "Its okay, you can tell me I'm not going to bite you."

"No its just that people say that all the time because we've always spent so much time together because we are the out casts you know?"

Darius nodded.

"So nothing I need to worry about?"

"No, I mean in grade school I liked him but not any more." She breathed, finally settling down.

Meanwhile in the bathroom Ariel was still puking what was left of her stomach into the toilet as Eric held back her flowing red hair.

When she had finished Eric gave her a disturbed look.

"What is wrong with you?" He said as he wiped the vomit from her shirt with a paper towel.

"He just scares me so much." She coughed.

"What do you mean?" Eric laughed

"You don't know him like I do, Eric. I grew up with him. He's, he's.." Ariel bent over and started to gag although she had nothing left in her stomach. "He's violent, and mean."

Eric put his hand on Ariel's head. She was hot, she didn't look well at all.

"Ariel I think you need to go lay down, I'll go get the car keys from Darrel." He said reassuringly.

"Okay." She said softly sliding down the wall and onto the floor shooting Eric a sympathetic look.

Once Eric had left Ariel stood up and began wiping the vomit from her clothes. She looked irritated, her sea green eyes were red and puffed. She put her hand on her cheek and admired her handy work. Eric had believed every bit of her act. She felt bad, but it was all necessary if she was to keep Eric safe from Darius. She sat back down on the floor where Eric had left her and coughed loudly as Eric re-entered the bathroom.

"You sound awful." Eric said sweeping her hair out of her face.

"I feel awful. My head is killing me." She groaned

Eric smiled as he put his arms under the backs of her knees and her shoulders, carrying her to the car bridal style.

"You're going to be okay, I'm going to make sure of it." Eric said lovingly. "I'm going to get Darrel, maybe he's ready to get home."

"Please don't leave me." She cooed as he set her in the back seat of the car.

"I'm going to have to get Darrel if you want to go home." He said softly taking her hand in his.

"I don't." She confessed "I hate it at home."

Eric suddenly realized he knew nothing of Ariel's living situation.

"Okay," He smiled reassuringly. "We can stay here for awhile."

"Thank you." She breathed as he took her hand in his and squeezed it.

"Easy," She laughed "You're going to break my hand."

"Awe you want me to kiss it all better?" He said in a baby voice.

"Maybe I do." She retorted

He smiled bringing her hand closer to his face.

"Eric!" Aggie screamed. "Eric! Help!"

Eric paused dropping Ariel's hand and bolting off to the table where Aggie had been sitting when he left.

* * *

Sorry to cut it short right there guys.

This chapter was getting sooooo long.

I apologize, it just makes it hard to edit and I'm sooooo tired.

Again I appreciate all the support I'm getting for both my stories.

I love you guys so much.

You are the reason I keep writing.

Much Love,

Marni


	6. Chapter 6

Minutes before Aggie screamed she was sitting in the same place she was sitting when she was asking Darius simple questions. He was still sitting opposite her with his fingers intertwined in each other and place neatly on the table.

"What is your place in the court?" Aggie asked, trying to remind herself that because Darius was being all buddy buddy with her did not make them friends. Darius was fae, he could not be trusted. Certainly not.

"I plan events, manage workers, find children for all of us to steal from their homes at the dead of night." He smirked sarcastically. "Normal Night court things."

"Has Eric ever had another boyfriend or a girlfriend?" Darius smiled, taking this chance to quiz his lover's best friend for information he couldn't acquire himself.

"Oh my god." Aggie laughed. "When we were twelve Eric was just figuring out that he didn't like girls, but at the time everyone wanted to date him because he didn't want anything to do with any of the girls. So the most popular girl in our grade comes up to him and says 'Eric, do you want to date me or not?' and Eric shrugged and said that he guessed they could hang out. Eventually they ended up at the park across the street from our old primary school and she tried to kiss him and he flipped out and started choking on his gum and when it finally came out of his throat it came flying out of his mouth and into her hair. It was freaking hilarious."

Darius chuckled softly, he had hoped as much.

"What is your mother's name?" Aggie asked

"Why do you ask that?" Darius tilted his head

"Because I'm curious what possessed her to name you Darius, its a fairly human name."

"My mother's name was Alice Marie Barlett." Darius smiled. "She came from this land, my father had a taste for humans. I suppose that is where I get it from."

_Barlett? _Aggie thought to herself _Where have I heard that name before? _

"What is something that you know about that Eric doesn't want anyone to know?" Darius smiled

Aggie was out of her head, but she managed to coax an answer from her lips. All the wile she studied Darius.

"When it rains he gets...Crazy." Aggie said watching the boy's facial features.

_It couldn't be. _She mused, looking for some indication to her suspicions.

"What is your title in your court?" Aggie asked boldly.

Darius smirked. He had hoped that his mother's name wouldn't have triggered anything important. His features under his glamour were just as annoyed, his heart suddenly grew cold.

"Why do you ask that? I've already told you my place in the court, isn't that sort of the same thing?"

"Not really, you said you helped plan evens and managed workers. That could be anything." Aggie said, her fingers clenched around an iron dagger she had shoved in the back of her long flowing skirts before she left home.

"I suppose that's true," Darius smiled "Know this is probably your last question dearie, are you sure you want to waste it this way?"

"Answer the question please." Aggie said as she unbuttoned the small sheath and drew the dagger into her hand. and stood up and away from the table.

Darius stood as well. Aggie hadn't noticed how much taller than her he was, he towered over her by at least a foot. He put his hands on the table and hunched over to make eye contact with Aggie.

"I am Darius, King of the Court Night." He smiled sweetly "And I did not come unprepared for this Agatha." His voice suddenly seemed more pristine and bold. "I did not come alone, it would be wise to take your hand off the dagger."

He knew about the dagger. Her one chance at just digging the iron into his neck and running away was gone. She only had one chance left.

"Eric!" She screamed "Eric! Help!"

"Aggie there is really no need for that. I'm not going to-" Darius sputtered quickly

"Eric!"

"Aggie stop, Eric does not need to-"

Eric came running away from the car and up to the table in a huff where he saw Aggie backed up away from the table and Darius standing straightening his tie.

"Aggie?" He said trying to catch his breath. "What's wrong?" Ariel was close behind him, moving much slower but she was close.

"Think about your next words carefully, Aggie." Darius warned "We wouldn't want to cause a disruption."

Aggie ran to Eric's and his behind him so he was in between Darius and herself.

"We need to leave." Aggie said tugging Eric's hand.

"I don't think that's a bad idea." Ariel said from his other side.

"What has gotten into you two?" Eric said turning toward them.

"Eric, I just think we should leave. Please, lets just go. I'm scared, there I said it lets go get in the big iron car." Aggie sputtered quickly as she pulled Eric's hand more.

"What happened?" Eric turned to Darius.

"We were playing a question game, she obviously didn't like one of the answers." He said cryptically.

"I want to leave right now!" Aggie said, her heart racing and her whole body shaking. Her eyes threatened at any second to flood with tears. Eric had never seen Aggie this way.

"Okay Aggs, we can leave if you are that upset." Eric said placing his hand on her shoulder. "Just calm down. I'll go get the keys from Darrel and we can leave."

Eric smiled and squeezed her hand softly as he departed for where Amber and Darrel were sitting. Aggie wanted to go with him, but she knew that if she left Ariel alone with him the outcome could be deadly, and if they both went with him he would just follow and they'd be in the same predicament.

"One more second Aggie, you couldn't have waited one more second?" Ariel hissed

"Sorry, its not every day you run into the king of the Night court!" She snapped. "Why didn't you tell me? I did not bring enough things to protect myself from that kind of problem!"

"I assumed when I said we have a huge problem you knew to bring heavy artillery." She said quietly

"YOU were a huge problem. HE is out of my control. What do I look like to you? Buffy the bloody vampire slayer?"

"I didn't want you to kill him, just distract him while I-"

"Ladies?" Darius interjected "Might I have a word with you?"

Ariel and Aggie looked at each other as if they had forgotten that he was still standing there.

"You are both being ridiculous. Aggie, I didn't come here to hurt Eric, or your idiot sister or her boyfriend or even you." He insisted "I came here to insure mine and Ariel's deal turned out the way I wanted it to." he snickered "And Ariel, its not quite fair to enlist help in a girl who doesn't understand what is going on."

"What is he talking about, a deal?" Aggie backed away from both of them

"Figures she wouldn't tell you that." Darius huffed "We made a deal that if she could get Eric to kiss her in five- four after today dear- that I would leave her and Eric alone forever."

"And if she loses?" Aggie inquired.

"I turn her into sea foam." both girls could see the sheer joy he got out of the thought, he tried not to show how his lips wanted to curl and smile. His twitching lips made Ariel's stomach turn.

"Well." Aggie started "Know where I stand then." She walked back over beside Ariel. "She might be fae, but she isn't as much a monster as you are."

Darius looked amused, the prospect of hi being a monster was highly humorous to him.

"I'm the monster? I may be ruler of a court full of monsters like me, but at least you know where my loyalties lie. Can you say the same for the mermaid?" He chuckled and walked off toward where Eric had been talking to Darrel.

It was silent until both girls were positive he was out of ear shot.

"What is he talking about?" Aggie questioned.

"I haven't the slightest idea."

Darius walked up behind Eric and pulled him into his chest.

"Who's your friend?" Darrel asked

"This is Darius, I've been seeing him for a little while." Eric blushed

"I've heard a lot about you." Darius smiled extending his hand for Darrel to shake.

Amer hadn't taken her eyes of Darius since he walked over. She was enamored instantly.

"I'm Amber." She said with a giggle.

Eric raised an eyebrow, it was strange for her to be so nice. Ariel and Aggie had rejoined the group staying silent and not making eye contact while Darius charmed the others.

"Pleased to meet you miss." Darius said with a sparkle in his eye.

Amber blushed profusely, her face felt hot and her head was spinning.

"We should all get a bite to eat." Amber suggested. "Since Ariel and Aggie are so uncomfortable."

"We'll have to squeeze into the car." Darrel rubbed the back of his head.

"Well Ariel or Eric can sit up front with you, since I'm a little smaller I should sit in the back." Amber batted her eyelashes as the six of them walked over to the car.

"I think I'm sitting in back." Eric said flatly, noticing Amber's sudden fascination with Darius. "Ariel is not that much bigger than you."

"I'll sit up front." Ariel volunteered. "I don't mind." Eric grumbled to himself quietly.

"Oh Eric," Darius cooed "Are you getting a little jealous?"

"No-" Eric snapped as his face grew to be a deep shade of scarlet. "Amber just drives me nuts is all."

"Well then you don't even have to sit next to her. I'll sit between you two so you don't even have to look at her." Darius smirked

"Thanks." Eric grumbled opening the car door.

"Anytime sweetheart." Darius smiled. "You know if you have something to say, you can just say it." He cooed into Eric's ear once they had gotten out of earshot. Eric felt like such a child, he looked up into Darius's violet orbs.

"I don't want you to sit next to Amber." He said lowly.

"All you have to do is ask." Darius cooed, pushing Eric's bangs out of his blue irises.

"Please don't sit next to Amber." He asked quietly as the others approached the car.

"Where are we going?" Darrel asked as he started the car.

"I was thinking Olive Garden." Amber said hopping in the left side of the car.

Darius gave Eric a nudge to sit between him and amber.

"I thought Eric didn't want to sit next to me." Amber snorted.

"I totally forgot, I get a little car sick." Darius smiled. "Eric was sweet enough to switch places with me."

"How nice of him." Amber growled.

"I'm a nice individual, Amber." He seethed as they all piled into the car, the back seat especially cramped. When every one wouldn't fix comfortably sitting on the seat it was decided that someone would have to sit on someones lap.

"I don't mind sitting on a lap, as long as it isn't Eric's." Amber smiled. Darius flashed his winning smile and chuckled.

"If Eric and Darrel don't mind, nor do I." Darius smiled.

Immediately Eric pulled Aggie on to his lap so Amber could continue sitting as far away from Darius as possible.

"Problem solved." He said wrapping his hands around Aggie's waist. Ariel was suddenly irritated, she should have faced her fear of Darius and sat in the back, she would be sitting on Eric's lap right now. Darius put his arm around Eric and smiled sweetly at Ariel, so was glowering from the front seat.

Amber and Eric bickered the whole way to the restaurant. It was sickening, the whole car was starting to wonder if it wasn't Darrel causing their relationship issues. Everyone was suddenly thinking it was Amber. Of course Aggie didn't doubt it, she knew how her sister was.


	7. Chapter 7

Eric woke up softly in Darius's arms. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy. Darius had been awake for quite sometime now, but he found Eric's fragile body in his arms soothing; He smiled softly as he looked down and pushed the small black curls out of Eric's eyes as he captured his lips between his own.

"Does my hair look ridiculous?" Eric murmured

Darius laughed as he cupped his face and kissed his lover again.

"After last night your hair should look ridiculous."

Eric blushed profusely, he could feel the blood rushing to his face and neck.

"So you're saying my hair looks ridiculous?"

"You look beautiful." Darius smiled "I like your hair curly."

"Its curling? Oh Jesus." Eric panicked as he tried to get up to only for Darius to hold him in place.

"Don't worry about it sweetheart, looking at you right here, right now, in this moment you look more beautiful to me than a thousand sunsets."

Eric smiled to himself feeling the blood rushing to his face again as he murmured his thank yous. A groan could be heard as Eric leaned over the bed and saw his mousy friend laying on his bedroom floor.

"You two make me sick!" Aggie snapped throwing a pillow at the boys. She had quickly gotten over her fear of Darius since she found out he was such a pansy, but Eric had asked her to stay over so his father wouldn't just walk into his room and see him spooning a boy. Besides, his father was ecstatic to see yet another pretty girl to look exceedingly happy to be lead into Eric's bedroom. Little did he know of the handsome young man sneaking in through the window.

It had been three days since Darius and Ariel's deal and time was running out. Aggie had began saying her good byes to Ariel, her confidence was dwindling but Ariel wasn't giving up hope just yet.

"You're just jealous." Eric said in a baby voice

"Oh yeah. Totally." She snorted rolling over on the floor. _Totally jealous, The King of the Night Court is totally who I want in my bed. _Aggie thought to herself.

"Did you see Amber's eyes pop out of her head when she saw him kiss me yesterday?" Eric laughed

"Oh my god I thought she was going to die." Aggie popped her head up at the chance to rag on Amber.

"She is rather enamored with me." Darius gloated

"That's because she can't see what you are." Aggie rolled back over thinking about how Amber had snaked her hand onto his leg while they were having lunch that afternoon, and how she had to worm her way in between them so Eric wouldn't have his feelings hurt. Darius wasn't socked, but he removed her hand anyway, like it was a common occurrence for him.

"Aggie, be nice." Eric soothed as he ran his thumb along Darius's jaw line.

"Easy for you to say, you guys could have at least waited for me to go to sleep before uh-" Aggie giggled "Messing up your hair."

Eric's face was never a brighter shade of scarlet, Darius found this adorable and kissed his forehead gently.

"I had fun." Darius shrugged, obviously not caring who witnessed his acts of passion.

After Eric's face had drained he cleared his throat

"Ariel wanted to get ice cream alone today, she wants to talk to me about something." Eric said.

Darius was taken aback slightly before smiling softly.

"Sounds fun, I'd like to take Aggie someplace anyway." He laughed "Can't wait to see Amber's face."

"Take pictures." Eric laughed hopping out of bed. "Close your eyes Aggs, getting naked." He said removing his pants.

"Like I didn't see everything you got last night." Aggie giggled

"My question is why you were looking?" Darius said replacing his dress shirt and straightening his tie.

"Pshh why pay $2.99 a minute for yaoi online when I can just-"

"I'm finished with this conversation!" Eric said, obviously humiliated.

"Well we are obviously so much better than internet porn, I mean look at us." Darius smirked as he attempted to make Eric's face turn that lovely shade of pink he enjoyed. "Eric has that sexy pretty boy thing going on, those pretty little eyes of his and god knows the thing he does with his hips-"

"That's enough guys." Eric said pulling on some clean clothes and plugging in his hair straightener, his face a subtle shade of pink. "Don't you have something better to do than talk about my sex life?"

"_Our _sex life." Darius corrected as he reached for his pants.

"Yeah, yeah." He smirked as he wiped away his smeared makeup and drew in more uniform lines.

"When do you think you and Ariel will be finished with ice cream?" Darius asked

"I wouldn't think we'd need more than a few hours." Eric said straightening all the curls in his hair.

"Awesome." Darius smiled "Aggie don't forget to tell Amber that we're going out, I wouldn't want her to worry."

"Wait you were serious?" Aggie asked quickly.

"Yeah, I want to show you some things." Darius raised an eyebrow "Unless you're scared."

"I am." Aggie admitted

"I won't let anything happen to you, Eric would kill me." Darius smirked

"Go on Aggie, it'll be fun. What's the worst that could happen?" Eric smiled as he finished his hair

_More than you know._ Aggie thought to herself.

"Plus, I want you to get to know him. He could be around for a long time."

"Come on, I swear I won't let anything bad happen to you." Darius said placing his hand over his heart

Aggie thought for a moment, she knew she could learn a lot about the fae if she had an inside look; but then again she had dedicated her life to learning about them to stay away from them and this was the opposite of her intentions.

"I'll go." She said finally.

"Great," Eric said as the trio heard a knock at the front door. "That must be Ariel."

"Eric, before you go I just wanted to tell you that I love you." Darius said as he cupped his lovers face in his hands. "More than anything in the world."

"I love you too." Eric smiled, kissing Darius softly. Darius gave Eric a serious look as he gazed into his eyes.

"Please, please don't let her use her tricks to fool you into anything." He urged. Eric looked confused.

"Trick me into what?" He giggled slightly

"Anything, I've known Ariel and her family a long time. They are very good at getting what they want." Darius averted his gaze "She wants you."

Eric couldn't even deny it. Everyone saw Ariel's advances, her smile was a little brighter when he was around, she laughed at all his jokes, the day when Darius had made a surprise visit.

"I won't." Eric pledged as he embraced Darius and walked to the door.

"Eric wait," Aggie cried

"Hm?" Eric turned

"Don't kiss her." Aggie said seriously "Anywhere."

Eric laughed a bit before walking out.

"You didn't have to do that." Darius smiled

"I know, but at least with you I know what I'm getting into." Aggie sighed "I just can't see what her motive is for wanting Eric."

Darius chuckled darkly

"That is exactly what I intend on showing you."

Aggie gulped, she was suddenly regretting going somewhere alone with him. Something about that laugh, something in the way he spoke sent chills up her spine.

"I assume you know you can't bring anything iron into the court?" Darius said stretching his arms.

Aggie nodded, she hadn't expected anything less.

"How do I live if they picked today to over throw you as king?"

"You don't." Darius laughed "But they won't. I'm the best king they've had in decades. My parents won't move against me because they are still hoping I'll come home and rule Kingdom White."

"Kingdom White?" Aggie asked

"Its a long story." Darius stood and readied himself to take leave. "Meet you outside." he said walking through the wall, not bothering to use the window since Eric wasn't in the room.

Aggie was startled, but not shocked. She pulled on her boots and tried not to think about how she was willingly walking into the court known for killing their own kind for amusement.

She poked her head out of the bedroom, she was relived Eric's father was asleep on the couch. As she walked out the door, she thought about all the bumps and bruises that Eric had endured at the hand of this man. She looked back, she could feel her stomach shifting.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Darius asked

"Ready as I'll ever be." Aggie breathed

Eric met up with Ariel at the ice cream place by the beach. It seemed she was getting prettier and prettier everyday, her red hair looked like fire blowing in the ocean breeze, her eyes matched the sea and her skin glowed as if she were the sun.

"Hey Eric." She smiled digging her toes into the warm sand.

"Hey." He said breathlessly as he admired all the care she had taken to look nice. He didn't believe for one second any of this was natural.

"Did you and Aggie have a nice sleepover?" She pried

"Yeah, we had tea and she made cookies." He lied

"You don't have to lie." Ariel giggled, "I know Darius spent the night."

Eric raised an eyebrow, unknowing as to how or why she knew about who was spending the night in his bed. Ariel must have seen his uncomfortable look and gestured to his bruised neck.

"He likes to play rough huh?" Ariel laughed "Not that I didn't see that for him."

Eric's face turned a shade of pink, how hadn't he noticed all that this morning?

"Yeah..." Eric said through his burning face "I just thought it would be nicer-"

"Thank you." She smiled "You're a sweetheart, you know that?"

Eric smiled softly before offering her an ice cream cone.

"Its so pretty here." Eric lapped at his cone.

"Mhmm." Ariel sighed

They ate quietly, it wasn't an awkward silence more of a mutual contentness. They exchanged smiles between bites of their favorite ice cream and listened to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach.

"I love the beach," Ariel said after she had finished her cone. "I practically grew up on one."

"Yeah?" Eric smirked "So you're a pretty good swimmer?"

"Of course, why?" Ariel giggled before she had noticed Eric had stood up. Eric laughed as he threw her over his shoulder and ran into the water. The warm water nipped at Ariel's feet before Eric threw her from his shoulder and into the water below.

"Pfffttt!" She laughed as she spit gulps of water from her mouth. "You're gonna pay for that!" She said as she stood up and kicked water in Eric's direction.

Eric smirked as he grabbed her foot and watched her tumble back into the water.

"Its no faaaiir." She wined "You are so much bigger than me." She sat in the water and pouted. He smiled as he sat down in the water next to her.

"I know, and I'm a beast so that just doesn't help you any at all."

Ariel could feel herself slipping into the water, it felt like home.

"If I could take you to my home town, would you go with me?" Ariel asked softly

Eric looked at Ariel, her eyes sparkled in the sun and the warm water soaked his clothes.

"Yeah," He smiled "I think it would be fun to see where you come from."

Ariel's eyes lit up as she stood and started wading into the water. It was thigh high before she turned back to Eric and smiled.

"Catch me if you can darling." She smirked as Eric stood to follow after her.

"What are you doing?" Eric sounded worried "There is a rip tide you know, we could get dragged out to sea."

"I know." Ariel chirped. "Just trust me." a strange look enticed Eric to follow, he didn't understand it at all but he didn't care. He suddenly only wanted to please Ariel. His desire to make her happy out weighed the fear of drowning in the unforgiving ocean.

* * *

Oh dear readers...

I apologize for being so MIA,

My doctor says all the writing I do is giving me carpel tunnel and he is now making be wear a brace.

It makes is very hard to write.

Those of you who know me well know that it is killing me on the inside.

Love to all the people who stuck with me.

Much love,

Marni.


	8. Chapter 8

Aggie was astounded, the court was nothing like she expected and everything she expected all at once.

The large beasts with grimy teeth and animalistic voices were no where near as scary as the beautiful folk with silver skin and flowing hair, their eyes drew Aggie in like a moth to a flame. They were so beautiful, they tempted Aggie in ways she didn't understand. She felt compelled to make them happy and to their bidding with out even a glance. She wanted to entertain them, make them rejoice to have her in their company. Darius occasionally tugged her arm to keep her moving and avoiding eye contact.

As Darius pulled Aggie through the crowd people bowed and snickered as soon as his back was turned. The assumption was that Aggie was his newest toy, and that she wouldn't make it through the night.

After what felt like a lifetime to Aggie, Darius pulled her to the edge of the room and through a door that lead into a long hallway. Slowly Aggie regained her composure enough for Darius to release her arm and trust her to follow behind him.

"How did they do that? I was ready for it, I just... I wanted to make them happy."

"I thought you knew our tricks dear." He smirked as he lead her through another door. Inside there was a bustling kitchen, its walls stained with a red tinge and its tables covered in a sticky red substance, the floor was littered with bones and raw hunks of meat.

"I suppose I don't understand as much as I hoped I did." Aggie admitted.

"The fey simply do not get ignored, if they want you to pay attention to them you will and you'll like it. They'll make you want them, its not a question of weather or not-" He noticed Aggie looking over at a troll who was busy at work. The troll smirked evilly looking at her human features. She watched as he slammed the carcass of a child onto the table in front of him, using his knife he easily cutting the body at the joins and throwing them in a large stock pot. Aggie looked as if she could vomit.

"Troll." He stopped raising his eyebrow and bringing Aggie into his Arms, holding her protectively. "Do you not think my pet has been horrified enough for one day?" he said running his hands through her mousy hair

The troll grunted and the child laying on the table faded away into a slab of beef.

"See that everyone is informed well of the situation, hmm?" Darius said kissing Aggie's cheek softly.

"Yes sir." He glowered as Darius lead Aggie out of the kitchen

"Why did you kiss me?" Aggie snapped

"They think I'm going to kill you or fuck you, pick one sweetheart." He snarled as he walked through another long hallway made of sparkling jewels and bones. The skulls watched Aggie through the holes where their eyes used to be.

"When did you become such a cynic?"

"The court brings out the worst in me." He brushed back his hair and tried to breath.

It was silent as they walked.

"So do you make Eric want you?" Aggie asked cautiously.

Darius didn't answer. His silence was answer enough for Aggie.

"I try not too, but he can be so difficult some days." He said finally as they approached a large door that opened into a closet with three other doors. Darius opened the one to his left and pushed Aggie into the dark room. Darius took Aggie's arm and led her down the long corridor.

"That's how humans are." Aggie argued "We like to be difficult."

"I know," Darius laughed "It drives me insane but the more he defies my wishes the more I want him."

The air in the hallway was damp and warm, Aggie breathed deeply and smelled the thick scent of salt and felt the rocky walls of the hallway. As they walked deeper and deeper into the cave like hall she noticed it was getting lighter. She could just barely see Darius, the full effect of his glamour dropped and she could see all the things she could only see out of one eye before. She could see his silver hair flowing down his back, his pale skin and the shimmering blue markings under his eyes that sparkled like amethyst in the rising light. His hands were strangely feminine, soft with each nail perfectly cleaned and manicured. She could see why her sister was so in love with him, even though she only saw his human form.

She was suddenly brought back to reality when the cave opened up into a sunny cove. Her eyes burned from the intense light, but it was beautiful. The water was blue and the air tasted sweet. The white sand glittered and the breeze whipped her hair, she looked over to Darius and grinned.

"So what are you supposed to be showing me at the beach?" She laughed

"Oh just wait, you'll know it when you see it." Darius said darkly in the tone that scared Aggie. It sent chills up her spine and made her shiver, her stomach turned as she tripped over something large and white sending her flying to her knees.

"Disregard the bones, that isn't what I brought you to see." Darius couldn't contain his laughter.

Aggie shuffled her feet in horror as she stood. They were bones. And he was laughing. Aggie gave him a shocked look, her eyes darted from him back to the bone she tripped on, she could see the whole skeleton now, it was strange. It obviously wasn't a human, it didn't have legs.

"You killed a mermaid?" Aggie sputtered

"I killed several _mermaids._" He cackled between laughs.

"Why?" she cried, trying to make him stop laughing.

"Ariel just wouldn't stop, she had to have everyone." He tried to catch his breath and regain his composure, after all this was not how a king should behave. "She even took Bree from me, it wasn't fair. I loved her. Bree was my everything." he croaked

Aggie just kept getting more and more confused.

"Who's Bree?"

"I'm sure you'll meet her later, when you find the rest of the mess." a trace amount of sadness could be heard on his voice. The usual strong tone faded to that of a child. Aggie did her best not to upset him further, she could sense a sob on the verge of his voice. She didn't want to see a grown man cry, let alone the King of the Night court.

"Ariel?" A male voice screamed from the distance. "Guys! I think Ariel's back!"

Aggie looked at Darius, who had seemed to regain himself enough to take her hand and walk her over to a large rocky area on the beach where several bony men were gathered, looking like dogs when their master had returned home. Thier skeletal bodies shook with happiness. Aggie could smell something rotting, though it didn't take long to notice what it was. Several bodies lined the cove, the woman was covering them with rocks as she attended to the living men.

"That isn't Ariel! Not nearly pretty enough." another man scowled as he rejoined the group. "She told us to stay put now come on!"

Darius took Aggie's hand and walked past the men who were all bickering about who Ariel loved more, he put his hand on the shoulder of a broad boy, he was far less skinny than the rest and he looked to be about sixteen years old, his shoulders looked strong and his eyes were the same shade of violet that Darius's were, he gave the boy a small smile and handed him a silver apple. He stood there as the boy devoured it and asked if they had seen Ariel. Darius shook his head and lead Aggie over to the woman. Her dark hair looked like it had been long since bleached by the sun and her tanned skin told no other stories. She smiled when she saw Darius, her eyes lit up and her voice sounded chipper.

"Hello Darius, nice of you to drop in." She said as she stood away from the bodies.

"Hello Bree." He said, his voice wavering "How have you been?"

"Fine, I suppose. You know the usual. Ariel must be out scouting, I haven't seen her in weeks."

"Yeah she's scouting alright." Darius tried to let out a chuckle "You'd think she would have learned about toying with me after-" His voice trailed off and Bree's face grew cold and withdrawn "Sorry." He said sheepishly.

Bree nodded and smiled again. "New girlfriend?" She asked sweetly

"Not at all." Darius smirked "I'm not really a girl kind of guy anymore. You were the only girl for me." he smiled

Bree looked to the sand, you could tell she was uncomfortable. She tried to avert her gaze but she was already caught in his eyes. He held out his hand for Bree to take but she only shied away.

"I can't I don't want to hurt you." She cried

"It'll only be a second-" He begged "Please."

Bree moved closer to Darius and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tightly and let out a loud sob. Darius held her into his chest as if he would never let her go. Blood ran from Darius's eyes and Aggie could smell his skin burning.

"Let go!" Bree wailed "You're hurting yourself! Darius! Stop! Please-"

Darius wouldn't hear it, he knew how selfish he was being, but he couldn't bear to let her go just yet. His vision blurred and he released Bree who fell to the sand in sobs. Darius fell backwards, blood running from his blinded eyes and into the white sand.

"Darius." She wailed rushing to his side, watching him bleed and smelling his sizzling skin. Aggie wondered if it was Ariel's doing, the beach suddenly made her sick, between the wails from Bree and the enchanted men, Aggie knew exactly what Ariel wanted with Eric.

Eventually, Darius sat up to soothe Bree, he reached out to her and she frantically withdrew. Instead he rubbed the blood from his eyes and did his best to sit up.

"Bree I'm so-"

"Just go!" She wailed "Leave!"

He looked at Aggie who understood his need and offered him a hand to help him up. He took it and stood to dust off his clothes.

"Good bye Bree. I'll see you soon." He said, trying to hold back the tears. His voice sounded distant and cold. "Take care of Charlie." He smiled as he looked back over at the violet eyed boy.

"He's fine, just go!" She cried as he turned his back and they started back to the cave that led them into the beach.

The pair was silent until Darius started to rub his burnt flesh.

"She wants to make Eric a zombie." Aggie stated plainly.

"Or a guardian, I'm not really sure what would hurt me more. Watching him love her or seeing him like I see Bree."

"Why does it do that, to your skin I mean." Aggie asked

"Bree belongs to Ariel. Ariel decides who can and cannot touch her."

"So why not just kill Ariel?"

"That's the plan." He started "But its tricky, I can't just kill her or those men will be under her spell forever."

"What do you care?" Aggie snorted

Darius paused as they re-entered the cavern that lead back to the court.

"That boy I gave the food too, Charlie, he's my brother."

"So what do you do?"

"Get her to kill herself." He smiled "If she loses this bet then she's killed herself."

"Why is she so afraid of you if she has so much over you?"

"I assume that she either doesn't know Charlie is my brother, which I seriously doubt, or she knows that it will hurt just as badly if not more if she upsets me any further. I've already killed everyone in her family, and her village with the exception of her mother. I presume she fears what I'll do next."

"She doesn't have much to lose."

"Just her life I suppose." Darius smirked as they re-entered the kitchen, it was empty and it made getting through to a door on the other side of the room incredibly easy.

"Why does she want to hurt you so badly?"

"My parents took the kingdom from her mother. Her mother was set to marry the king before my mother killed him and took his throne."

"The fey are so strange.." Aggie murmured "You'd think you'd all just go on your happy business being faeries and such."

"I would think indeed." Darius laughed as he opened a set of large doors. The room was set in black and and teal color scheme, and the large canopy bed towered over the south side of the room and a pretty servant girl asked him when he'd like his bath. He dismissed her after telling her he would be returning to the moral realm soon enough and he would handle himself there.

Aggie plopped down on his bed and noticed the mound of pillows he had on top.

"You know this room looks like it belongs to a prepubescent emo girl." She laughed

"Hmm, I wasn't aware Eric was a prepubescent emo girl."

Aggie looked up sharply, what did he mean by Eric's room? Surly he didn't intend to bring Eric here.

"Calm down, he designed this room in an art class. I just put it together." he handed her a hand drawn picture that outlined

"Why?" Aggie snapped

Darius was annoyed, the books she read always lead her to believe he was never telling the whole truth. He never was, and it annoyed him that she knew that.

"What stops his father from killing him when he finds out that you and Ariel are just girls to cover for what he really is?"

Aggie didn't know what to say to that. She knew Eric's father had already made several attempts on his life for the make up, god knows what would happen if he ever found out the truth.

"What stops all these monsters from killing him?" Aggie raged

"I do." Darius smiled "Here I can be with him always, protect him from everything and stay by his side."

"And when they kill you what happens to him?"

Darius smiled as he walked over to the bed and tapped on the wall three times. A small trap door opened into a dimly lit cavern, large enough for someone to crawl through, but small enough so not more than one person could come through at a time.

"I figure anything small enough to fit through here in pairs or more Eric can be trained for."

Aggie was impressed, she didn't think Darius thought any of this through.

"And how do you expect to explain this to him?"

"I don't. I figure I'll just bring him here and figure it out from there."

Aggie was silent, the bed was so comfortable, she didn't want to fight with Darius anymore. She just wanted to sleep, the day had been exhausting and Eric was probably back from ice cream with Ariel by now.

"Are you hungry?" Darius asked

"Yeah, lets go home."

"I can feed you if-"

"I'm not eating any of this crap." Aggie snapped jumping out of the bed "And neither is Eric ever again. Take me home."

"Suit yourself." Darius shrugged "Not that you have any power over what I choose to do with Eric."

What he chooses to do with Eric. Her mind reeled at the thought. Eric was stuck between starving to death on a beach pining over Ariel and belonging to the king of the night court. Her best friend was doomed.


	9. Chapter 9

Eric sat next to Ariel in the sands of a beach he had never seen before. He didn't know where he was or how he got there but he was happy, happy just to be in the company of someone he loved so much. Her hair looked like roses flying in the summer breeze and her eyes matched the glittering ocean waves.

"Eric, are you happy?" Ariel smiled

"Of course I am." Eric gushed

"Would you like to stay with me forever?"

"Yes." He replied in a robotic tone.

"You know what you have to do." She smiled as she leaned in

Eric paused, shaking his head slightly. His head felt foggy, the light feeling that Ariel had been giving him was fading into something sick and heavy.

"I can't. I'm in love with someone else."

"You don't love Darius anymore." Ariel hummed

"I don't love Darius anymore." He repeated. "I love Aggie."

"You don't love Aggie either, you love me."

"I love you."

"Yes, you love me. Now what are you going to do about it?"

His head was pulsing, his mind felt blurry and his heart was heavy. He felt something snapping in his head as he pushed himself away from Ariel.

"Where am I?" He said softly "What happened?"

Ariel looked annoyed, this had been the second time Eric had defied her. She hated it.

"It doesn't matter." She growled.

"it matters a little," He raised his eyebrow as he fixed his hair and dusted the sand off his pants. "I told Darius I'd be home in a few hours."

"Darius doesn't matter!" She yelled

Eric flinched, he had never heard Ariel raise her voice at anyone let alone himself.

"He may not matter to you, but he's my world." His eyes looked bright "Plus he and Aggie are probably home by now. Its time to go home."

"No!" Ariel snapped "You are staying here."

"Yes Ariel." His eyes remained bright but his voice sounded monotone.

"Come on then." She smiled as she took his hand and led him to a group of men and one woman who was laying in the sand next to a dark stain on the sand. Ariel sat Eric down and smiled at the group. "Now take care of my Eric, he's our new friend."

The men smiled and nodded as they looked at Ariel as she placed a kiss on each of their foreheads.

"Bree," She snapped at the woman in the sand. "Watch him, see that he doesn't leave."

"Yes m'lady." Bree sighed "Does he have a name?"

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not." Bree sighed as she smoothed her hair. "You didn't happen to bring anything to eat for the boys did you?"

"Why would I? They just ate." She smiled as she walked off into the ocean.

After about twenty minutes of sitting silently, Eric rose from the sand and stood next to the woman who had been called Bree.

"Uh, Hi. I'm Eric, I'm not really sure where I am but I'm 90% sure that my best friend wasn't being crazy when she told me to stay out of the water with Ariel."

Bree was shocked, one of the boys had never spoken of anything but Ariel.

"Hello Eric, I'm Bree." She smiled "I'm afraid your friend was correct. Once you're in the water you have no choice but to do as she wishes, even when not commanded."

"Is there any way off this beach?" He asked "My friends are probably worried sick."

"I'm afraid I couldn't tell you of a way you could leave with out being in more danger than I think you could handle." Bree smiled

"Well I have to try, Darius is going to-"

"Darius?" Bree's eyes looked excited. "As in King Darius?"

"Uh..." Eric blushed "No, its just Darius I think."

"Silver hair, purple eyes, like six and a half foot tall?"

"More 6'7 but, yeah." Eric's voice became chipper and bright

Bree's face looked cold, but she smiled softly.

"You obviously care about him a lot to be able to break free of Ariel."

"He's my world." Eric smiled "Which is why you have to help me get off this beach."

"For the Kings' lover, anything." Bree smiled.

"I suppose I'll have to ask him about this King Darius thing later. After this-" He gestured to the men on the beach, "nothing seems illogical."

"The only way off or on to this beach is the water or you have to find the secret passageway along the beach that way." Bree pointed to the left "If you get in the water, Ariel will know you're trying to escape so steer clear of it at all times if at all possible."

"Thank you." Eric smiled "You don't know how much I appreciate this."

"Just take care of Darius for me, please." Bree's voice cracked as she took a hold of Eric's wet shirt. "And give him this for me." She pulled him into her as her hands tangled in his dark, sand filled hair. She pressed her lips against his, he felt himself pulling away but her hands held him in place as she released all the pent up emotion she had onto Eric's soft lips.

When she untangled her fingers from Eric's hair, his lip was bleeding slightly. Her face looked flushed and her fingers trembled.

"He is yours now." Her voice shook as her hands reached over hear head and lifted a slim gold chain from her neck. The pendant hanging on the chain was outlined in gold and had a strange clasp on the front made from what looked like intertwining tree roots. She laid the pendant over his head and smiled as she squeezed it for the last time in her palm.

"What is this?" Eric said, still recovering from the shock of kissing a girl he had never met.

"It will get you through the Night Court unscathed long enough to find your way back to Darius." She said rubbing a tear from her eye. "Promise me you'll take care of him."

"What is the Night Court?" Eric tilted his head.

"Promise me!" Bree wailed

"I promise!" Eric flinched

"Okay, I'm sure Darius will tell you about all this when you're ready." Bree smiled through her tears and puffed eyes. "Keep that close to you, it will keep the folk from enchanting you it bears the Kings' emblem. No one will dare hurt you as long as you have it."

"Thank you." He sputtered "I think." He said as he started down the beach being careful to avoid the water, nursing his bleeding lip as he went.

Bree collapsed to the sand in sobs as she watched her fingers start to prune like your skin after you've been in the bath tub too long. She smiled softly between her tears as Eric jogged down the beach.

"_I Love You Darius," _She said to herself "_I hope he can make you more happy than I ever could." _ Her skin continued to shrivel as she laid herself onto the sand.

"Darius!" Aggie snapped "He's not here!" she said walking out of Eric's house. "His dad said he went to the beach with Ariel, I guess they checked in about four hours ago."

"I thought they were getting ice cream!"Darius cried "Beach is different than ice cream Aggie!" He panicked, knowing the only reason Ariel would take Eric to the beach.

"There's an ice cream place on the beach, we could check-"

"No time!" He staggered as he grabbed Aggie's shirt "You aren't going to like this, and I'm sorry but there's no time."

Aggie tried to sputter something but Darius had already grabbed her and her head was spinning, her stomach was turning and she could feel her heart pumping in her chest. She couldn't see, or feel anything but her own agonies. Somewhere far away she could hear a woman screaming, was it her? Was she screaming?

When the world stopped spinning she was on her hands and knees on the beach next to Darius cradling a shriveled body on the beach.

"Bree-" He sobbed "Why would you do that?"

Aggie slowly made her way up from her knees and asked what as going on.

"Its Bree-" His tears rolled down his face and onto the body he held in his arms. "She gave Eric the necklace."

"What are you talking about?" Aggie said as her head cleared.

"I gave her a necklace, so she could defy Ariel's wishes without dealing with the consequences." His voice cracked as he held the body into his chest. "She couldn't leave the beach or touch me, but at least she could try to be happy."

"So what happened?"

"She must have given it to Eric to escape, and Ariel obviously didn't want that."

"Why would she do that?!"

"Because she wants me to be happy-" He screeched in sobs "I could never be happy with her while she was stuck on this beach, and even if Ariel died I'd still always want her. I'd still always love-Oh my god." He wailed

"Darius!" She took him by his shoulders and shook him. "She's dead, but Eric isn't. Not yet."

Darius stopped to take one last look at Bree before laying her back on the beach and standing up wiping the hot tears from his face.

"You're right." His voice wavered, but he did his best to sound strong. "Where could he be?"

"Did Bree know about the passage way?"

"Yeah, she had too. So he's either on the beach or-"

The pair looked at each other before taking off down the beach, frantically looking for foot prints. When they found a pair leading directly to the passageway there was no question. Darius stopped before dropping to his knees and divulging the food in his stomach onto the sand.

"Come on." He said standing up, trying to hide the fact that he may just lose both the loves of his life in one day, one to the hands of his own court.

Ariel was silent as she entered the court. Her body was shaking, her blood was boiling as she prepared herself to speak to the Night Court. She walked in front of the throne and opened her arms wide. Her dress shimmered a sea green and was trimmed in sea shells and sea weed.

"Brothers! Sisters! Hear me now; Where is you're King?" She said loudly. "Out fraternizing with mortals while you, his subjects, fend for yourselves in this hole in the ground. What sort of King is he? Because he is the son of the rulers of the Bright court, you continue to let him rule. For what? A cease of war? Is war not what we do best here? I demand you over throw King Darius now, and announce me as the new ruler! I am of royal blood after all, My mother Ariana, and the late King Cedric of Kingdom White saved the last of what lives of the true royal family in me."

Eric was making his way through the hallways and eventually made his way into the kitchen, the workers all stopped in their tracks as he entered. They could smell his skin, his human skin. The troll that had frightened Aggie earlier had approached him slurring his words through slobber and the excitement of having a new toy.

"'Ello Love." The troll smiled sweetly.

"Uh...Hi," Eric started "You wouldn't happen to know where the exit is would you?"

"Of course I would dearie, just follow me."

"Actually, why don't you just point me in the right direction. I can find it myself just fine."

"You know, the folk are very tricky. One could snatch you up."

"I doubt that very much." Eric said pushing himself away from the troll.

"Oh? And what stops them from hurting you?"

"This," He pulled the pendant out of his shirt and smiled "Mostly. You know we can't all be accompanied by the King." He batted his eyelashes as he tried to bluff his way through the kitchen.

"King?! Ha!" The troll laughed "Princess Ariel of Kingdom White is in there encouraging the court to over throw him at this moment. He will be nothing but a smear on the wall by morning."

Eric's stomach dropped, he didn't know what he was getting into.

"Where is she?" He seethed

The troll pointed and smiled "By morning you'll be mine love. He can't protect you forever. Just till morning."

Eric rolled his eyes and pushed his way past the troll into the door the troll indicated. As he opened the door the sound of Ariel's voice flooded his ears. She was going on about how she was obviously the better choice in a ruler.

"Ariel!" He snapped as he made his way over to her.

"Eric?" She murmured "How did you-"

"Darius is the one 'fraternizing' with mortals? You have a whole village of them on the beach!"

"But I don't leave my court for weeks on end to see a mortal."

"Where have you been the last few days? The same place as Darius?"

Ariel was enraged, her face was puckered and her hands were clenched at her sides.

"_Eric, Step down. Now." _She demanded

"Make me, mermaid." He hissed

"Alright." She smiled as she parted the crowed "But in the end when I win, I will take you and your precious Darius's kingdom."

"Please, I know better. Aggie told me about all your tricks. I'm not fighting you, and I'm not going to eat your food, and I'm not playing your faerie games!"

Ariel laughed. "You think you aren't already? You are in my world now Eric. My world, My game, My rules."

Eric gulped, he didn't like the sound of it, but he stood his ground.

"The mortal made a challenge, I say we make him honor it." Ariel smirked as the crowd rejoiced in the chance to watch the gore. "To the first blood! Choose your weapon love." She said moving her arm toward a pile of weapons on the floor.

"Don't call me love. You are nothing to me now." He said, scorn flooded his voice. No one noticed that Darius and Aggie had entered through the kitchen, it only took a moment to realize that Eric had accidentally challenged Ariel to a fight.

"Ariel! It isn't him you want." Darius stood parting the crowd. "He is a mortal, you would fight him as he is clearly disadvantaged, over me who has had experiences in the court? How dare you pick a fight with him, knowing he knows nothing of our ways. Pathetic. Come, fight me. Avenge your fathers death at the hand of my mother. Fight me, if you aren't a coward."

Ariel smiled as she saw Darius's face, he was doing his best to look proud and strong, but she could see the pain in his swollen eyes.

"Very well," She smirked "To the death then."

"No!" Eric wailed "Darius, if she wins you'll die. If I lose I'll just get cut up and have to stay with her. Take Aggie and go, now!"

"Stay out of this Eric, you have no place here."

"You have no right to control me." Eric snapped "I am not your toy."

"He's right Eric!" Aggie chimed "We need to leave. We can go back to normal, we don't belong here."

"There is no normal for me anymore." Eric picked up a sword and pointed it at Ariel. "Darius?"

"Stand down Eric!"

"Do you remember when you asked me who loved the prince more? The witch or the mermaid?"

"Eric! Stand down!" Darius plead

"I know the answer now."

"Eric, _please_"


	10. Chapter 10

Eric's eyes were locked on his target. He pointed the tip of his sword at Ariel as she flipped her unnaturally red hair back and unhooked a strange looking whip from a place on her thigh. The room had gone silent with the exception of Darius's taunts at Ariel. He had been restrained until the duration of the challenge, not even the king himself had the power to come in between the honor of a duel.

"Are you ready for me darling?" Ariel cooed.

"Are you?" Eric daunted

"Cocky," She smirked "We ought knock that out of you before you return to the beach."

"I'm not going back to the beach." Eric said as they began to circle each other.

"Oh? Would you rather stay by my side? Be my little lap dog?"

"Shut up and fight me!" Eric said lunging forward. Ariel crack the whip and tore the sleeve of Eric's dress shirt, narrowly missing his arm.

"Are you sure you want to be in such a rush to lose?" She laughed

"You're a coward Ariel! Just like your mother!" Darius screamed "You know why she's alive? Because your mother betrayed her kingdom when my parents took over. She ran Ariel! Ran like the little dog she is, like a little bitch! What does that make you?"

"You should be nice to me, knowing I hold the life of your lover in my hands, not to mention Bree. But I doubt he knows anything about that!" Ariel snarked, Eric took the moment of distraction to lunge at Ariel's leg. He swung hard but to no avail, Ariel was too quick for him.

"Oh Eric, you'll like living with me. You can sleep in my bed every night and keep my company. Maybe we'll even keep your little lover, maybe we'll put him on the beach." She smiled as she cracked the whip and it wrapped tightly around Eric's sword.

"Anyone ever tell you that you smell like fish?" Eric said as he struggled to free his weapon. "No one wants to be in your bed."

Ariel's face grew hot. She was becoming annoyed with his little games.

"If you hurt him I'll be sure your mother is the first to die." Darius growled "It won't be quick either, I'll take her back to Kingdom White, back to my mother, back to Wonderland. I'm sure my parents would love to see her."

"Don't threaten me boy!" She snapped as she tore the sword out of Eric's hands. Darius dropped to the ground, defeated.

"Eric! Run!" Aggie wailed "Do something! Don't just stand there! Fucking do something!"

Eric stood in awe as Ariel approached him, he touched his palms to his eyes as the mermaid put her hand on his shoulder and pushed him gently to his knees.

"Kneel before me love, kneel before your new queen."

Eric's head was spinning. He had only had to hit her once. One time. _One fucking time._ He scolded himself. He suddenly understood how weary Aggie had been of her, and Darius for that matter. He understood why she warned him to stay out of the water. Why she had scolded him not to kiss her. He nursed his sore lip, he remembered Bree's kiss he would never get to give to Darius. Ariel was evil, just like Aggie said. _Wait- First blood. Kiss her. _The wheels had began turning in his mind as he bowed his head.

"Yes my love." He said sweetly "I was clearly no match for you, I don't know why I even attempted to overcome such a powerful woman."

"Oh go on." She gushed

"You're just too beautiful to hurt, even if I could match your superior fighting abilities I never could have hurt you." He smiled, as she tilted his chin up so he could look her in the eyes. He took her hand and held it between his own. "Could I-" his cheeks turned a pale shade of pink "Could I kiss you?"

Darius's jaw dropped, he looked at Aggie who was in a panic.

"Darius!" She hissed "Stop him! If he kisses her before sunset-"

"You think I haven't put that together?!" He snapped.

"So what do we do?!"

"What the fuck do you think we can do?!" Darius lowered his head and tried to remain strong.

Eric smiled as Ariel bent over and stroked his cheek.

"You would kiss me before your lover, the king?"

"You are obviously the better choice." He breathed as she leaned into his reach, she smirked softly as she edged closer. He could see all her tiny white, almost translucent teeth. He could see where the glamour had been covering her inhuman features. Her hair looked like blood, Amber was right to think it came out of a bottle. Her skin was shiny and tiny scales covered her elbows and knees. Her angular features and pointed ears were nothing but a testament to her beauty. It made Eric's stomach turn to realize how stunning she was, how badly he wanted to kiss her. His mind flashed to how much more beautiful Darius was than she had been, even now Darius far surpassed her. He wondered what Darius looked like out of human form, was he beautiful like her or was he a monster like the others of the court? He had heard his voice but he hadn't actually seen him since he got to the court. Only one way to find out.

Eric grinned before baring his teeth and sinking them deeply into her bottom lip. Sparkling blood gushed from her mouth as he ripped his teeth away, he could feel her skin stuck between his teeth and he could taste her blood in his mouth.

"You know the thing about mortals, Ariel?" Eric smirked as he stood "We are all liars. Your lip is bleeding, _Darling._"

Ariel looked horribly annoyed. Her lip was torn and she had lost to a mere mortal, she had let him get the better of her. Darius was released onto the court, his eyes met Eric's at once. He took Eric's hand and declared him the winner of the duel.

"I won!" Eric smirked "Now leave."

"That wasn't what I agreed too." Ariel smiled "Don't quiet remember you stating any terms on your victory. Just on your loss."

"But-"

"She's right Eric." Darius squeezed his hand "There is nothing to be done."

"And" Ariel smirked "I think that counts as a kiss, Darius."

"Not at all. He bit you, that hardly constitutes as an act of love." Darius laughed.

Eric wasn't even there anymore, he was enamored with the man who stood next to him. His violet eyes glimmered behind his long silvery hair and strange blue markings under his eyes. His fingers looked as if they had an extra joint which made them move like fluid as he bickered with Ariel.

"I am still King, I have the last word. And if I'm not mistaken, your time is up." Darius smirked "You have lost twice in one night."

"No!" Ariel screeched "Fight me for my freedom!"

"You had your chance to fight me!" Darius bellowed as he turned his back to take a seat on his throne. "You have run out of time."

"You cannot deny me a challenge!" Ariel snapped "Have you no shame?"

"None at all." He snickered as he pulled Eric onto his lap and gestured for Aggie to take a seat next to him. "Especially when I already own you."

Eric snuggled Darius's chest gingerly, he was suddenly very tired. His eyes drooped and he pressed his fingers into the warm fabric of Darius's jacket.

"What about Charlie and Bree?" Ariel begged "You haven't the slightest idea what might happen to them if I die."

"I assume he will go back to normal, and I assume Bree will remain dead on your sands until I send someone after the body for burial." He said coldly ad he stroked Eric's back.

"You know this for a fact?" Ariel smiled sweetly. "Fight me and win, and I'll release Charlie to you and you may do as you please with me."

"And if I lose?"

"You let me go, and you and yours stay away from me and my family."

"I haven't a choice then, do I?" He nudged Eric as he stood, holding his arm out so a servant could hand him a glimmering sheath.

"Darius, Could you make it quick? I'm sleepy." Eric cooed

The silvery haired boy turned to his lover who was lazily curled into his throne, he was obviously tired out by the short fight. Although it lasted but a few minutes, a fully grown mermaid verses a mere mortal was nothing to shake a stick at. It wasn't surprising to Darius at all to see him in such a state, so he nodded and smiled before placing a kiss on his forehead.

"To the first blood then. I haven't the will to kill you, its been a long day." Darius looked to the servant that had given him his sword "Please accompany Eric and Aggie to Eric's room, inform the ranks that they are under my protection from this day on. They are my guests to come and go as they please."

The servant nodded before nudging Eric and taking his weary hand in hers as they walked down the dank hallways and into the teal and black room.

Aggie plopped down on the bed next to Eric's battered body. She swept the hair from his eyes and smiled as he let out soft snores.

"You'll be safe now, I hope." She whispered softly "Darius really cares about you."

Eric rolled onto Aggie, using her legs as a much needed pillow. She smiled and began tracing small circles in his back with her fingers.

"You remember when we were in ninth grade, and we said that if we were 30 and we weren't married yet we'd run away together?" She giggled as she watched his eyes twitch "I guess we'll never get any of that. Never have kids, or a house or-" Her eyes glimmered with tears and pain "I guess it doesn't matter though, you never liked me like that anyway, how could you? You don't even like the pretty girls."

She sat in silence for a few minutes, her tears staining her cheeks black with mascara and a bitter sweet ending. She dabbed her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt and pulled a large comforter over Eric's body. Her fingers lingered on his skin longer than she had wanted them too, but she couldn't stop herself from letting her nails run softly over the nape of his neck and the curve of his jaw before his eyes fluttered open.

"You know I hate sleeping in my clothes." He groaned kicking off his pants. "Geeettt it." he whined.

Aggie giggled before pulling of his shirt and smiling to herself as he reached up to wipe the remainder of her tears from her eyes.

"You're mother must be proud of the boy she raised." She smiled

"You're the best mother I could have ever asked for, Aggie knows best." He said before rolling onto his side and snuggling into the teal comforter.

She ran her fingers through his hair again, she could smell the lavender shampoo he used. It made her sick how badly she wanted to crawl under the blankets and hold him.

"Yes, Aggie knows best." She smiled "Now close your eyes. You need your rest."

"I should listen to you, we wouldn't be in this mess." He laughed

"Oh stop, you and Darius are going to be very happy together."

"I know, its just not exactly what I expected. I should have believed you when you told me about the faeries."

"We were five." She giggled "Of course you didn't believe me."

"We've always been best friends, huh?"

"Always." Aggie managed to squeak "Always have been, always will be."

"Thank you," He sighed as his eyes slowly shut "for always being there when things get...Crazy."

"Anytime love." She whispered as he fell back into his sleep.


End file.
